Scarlett Flannigan: Time & Magic
by Charlie Laurenz
Summary: Scarlett Flannigan, a half-blood witch, begins a journey of adventure and self-discoveryafter the death of her mother.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own the rights to Harry Potter or Doctor Who

Once upon a time, there was a man. A fantastic man, brave and fearless. Adventure followed him wherever he went. "He wasn't from around here," my mother used to say. He was from the stars. A planet far, far away. This man was my father. He was a time traveller. All of space and time at his disposal and the universe had decided to bring the two of them together.

My mother was a special woman, as well. She might not have been from another planet, but she was different from everyone else. Her parents had been normal, so when she began to show special abilities it was concerning. Anya the Freak. Anya the Weirdo. Her parents had immigrated to America from Russia in an effort to escape communism. They didn't have much but they tried their best.

So when a letter came from a Salem academy, promising their daughter a better education, my grandparents heartily assented. There she learned what she was: a witch. Not warts-on-the-nose, green-skinned, evil witch. But a powerful and benevolent human possessing magical ability.

It was when my mother was twenty that she first met him. His ship had crash landed in a corn field near the house she was living in. The moment they met made history. He hadn't been to Earth much, he was interested in other planets. And my mother, being the poor farm girl that she was, wanted to see more. Salem had offered her an opportunity to get out of the small farming community she had grown up in; this man was offering her the opportunity to see the universe.

He didn't have company. He usually travelled alone. But my mother was special. She used her abilities to help him whenever they got into a pinch and they fought injustice across the stars together. Like most things, however, it ended.

Their relationship had been kept a secret, for him to marry a human would have been taboo. If her parents had known who he really was, they would have kept her from him. Still, they loved one another. So when a war broke out in space, between his people and a long-time enemy, he brought her back home. She said he had promised to come back but they both knew he wouldn't.

Nine months later, I came along. Years passed and there was still no word from him. This was Earth, after all. What would Earth know of an alien war? So, Mom did the best she could for us. She worked as a waitress during the day, while an old friend of hers looked after me. What little money she had inherited from her parents' when they died went to feeding and housing me. For all her abilities, she couldn't seem to be something.

I was two when it happened. My mother had been anxiously awaiting signs of what I would be. Would I be like her? Or would I be like my father? She said we were sitting on the sofa in our trailer together when she heard the noise. A terrible, ripping sound emanated from our small kitchen. And then she saw my hand.

My tiny hand outstretched, I was opening space itself. Looking through the rip, my mother saw an alternate version of our trailer. At that moment she knew how dangerous I could be; because something like that had to have come from magic and time being combined. From that time on, she watched me, carefully. I began spending time with a neighbor of ours, a little, old woman named Mrs. Combe. She was a witch like my mother and, between the two of them, they kept me from trouble. Little did I know my time with them was coming to an end.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I still don't own the rights to Harry Potter or Doctor Who

"Scarlett! Wake up!" My mother's voice echoed in my ears. Blearily, I looked around the small bedroom we shared, wondering why I just lost my dream.

"Mom?"

"It's your last day of school for the year. You don't want to miss it!" I watched as she swirled around, grabbing her purse off the chair.

"Yes, I do. I don't like school."

"Well just think, this is your last semester at regular school and then you'll probably be going to Salem. Won't that be fun?" I looked at her pulling up her auburn curls and scowled.

"Is not full of idiots?"

"Scarlett Tatiana Flannigan!" The middle name had been said and I knew I was in trouble. "I do not want to hear name calling out of your mouth ever again, are we understood?"

"Yes ma'am." For years I had wondered why my mother had given me the last name of Flannigan when hers was Vinoukurov. Apparently, she didn't want the other kids giving me a hard time and decided to give me a nice, normal name. It didn't help. The kids at school and in the local trailer park still made fun of me. My flaming red hair and glassy, silver eyes didn't earn me any friends. Neither did the fact that for a ten year old, I was rather tall. Not to mention there was the fact that I seemed to have inherited her seer ability. All in all, I was not a particularly popular kid.

I threw the covers off my legs and got dressed, grabbing the book I was reading along the way. "Alright, I'm dressed. Let's get this over with." Smiling, my mother pecked my forehead and grabbed my hand.

"Mrs. Combe is going to have to take you to school today, honey. There's something I have to do."

"Oh. Well, it's a half day today, is she going to be there to pick me up, too?"

"She knows." I couldn't help but notice how tightly she held on to my hand and the sadness in her eyes.

"Mom, what's going on? You're acting all-"

"I think you're imagining things, honey. Are you enjoying 'Sherlock Holmes'?"

"Yes, but-"

"Good. I always liked those books. Now go on, you don't want to keep Mrs. Combe waiting."

"But I-"

"Scarlett," My mother stooped and put my hand to her face. "I love you. Very, very much. Always remember that."

A sinking feeling descended upon my stomach. Why was she acting like this? I knew that she was like me; she saw things in her dreams. What had she seen?

"I love you too, Mom. Why are you-"

Tears formed in her eyes as she grabbed me into a hug. "I want you to always be a good girl. Remember who you are. You're going to be a great woman someday." And with that, she was gone. I started to go after her but Mrs. Combe had emerged from her trailer and took my hand.

"Come on, dear. We need to leave."

"There's something weird going on with my mom."

"There's no time to explain." Jolted, she yanked on my arm and, the next thing I knew, we were running. She shoved me into the backseat of her car and locked the doors. Terror filled me as she raced out of the park, driving down the road at an alarming rate.

"Mrs. Combe, what's going on? We aren't going to my school and my mom was acting like she's never going to see me again. What's happening?"

"I'll explain when we get there."

"Get where?" Angrily, I grabbed her arm from the backseat. "I demand you take me back! There's something wrong with my mom!"

"Dearie, you're not going to be seeing her again." She turned the wheel sharply and we flew down a forested road.

"Take me back! Take me back now! I don't know why you're kidnapping me but-"

"I'm doing this on Anya's request. She wanted to make sure you were safe."

"Safe from what?" I could hear my heart in my ears. This was all wrong. Any moment, I would be back in our bed, in our trailer. My mom would come in with blueberry pancakes and we'd laugh and tell stories until I had to go to school. This wasn't real.

Sighing, Mrs. Combe took another sharp turn, her tires screaming in protest. "Your mother saw something last week, while you were in school. There was going to be an attack on the park today."

"What, like men with guns?"

"No. Men with wands. These times are dangerous here, Scarlett. The magical world in America is in upheaval. Your mother saw what was going to happen and made a choice to do the right thing."

"Fighting them isn't the right thing! The right thing to stay with me!" Bawling, I clutched the seat in front of me. It all made sense then, why she had acted so strangely. She was going to die. My mother was going to die. I would never see her again.

"Scarlett, she's making sure you'll be protected. We contacted an old friend of mine in England. He's going to take you in. You'll be safe there."

"I won't have my mother!" Tears racked my body. How was I going to live without her? She had always been there. It was bad enough I never knew my dad, now I was losing my mom too.

We pulled into a private drive, a large abandoned house resting on the top of the hill. Mrs. Combe got out of the car and grabbed me by my arm. "No! I'm not going! I'm going back, even if I have to walk!"

"It won't do any good, Scarlett. She won't be there."

"I need to be there!"

"Scarlett! Stop it! Stop fighting me!" Shocked, I stopped in my tracks. "Your mother's last request to me was that I get you to safety. I'm not going back on my word. You can come willingly, or I can force you. Either way, you're not going back."

Sniffling, I grabbed my backpack from the ground and slung it over my shoulders. "I need to take this book back to the library..."

"Scarlett, forget the damn book. There's more important things at the moment." With that, she grabbed my hand and we made the climb up the hill. I looked at the grand, decaying Antebellum house and wondered about its former glory. All the things that could have been. An infinite number of possibilities, dashed. I clung to the book in my hands like it was life. It was the last thing I had that signified mine and my mother's relationship.

We entered in through the dilapidated door. The once grand parlor was rotted and covered in dust. The wind whistled through the clapboarded windows. Of all the places to be, this would never be on my list. "In here, Scarlett. Quickly."

I followed Mrs. Combe into a large room with the biggest fireplace I had ever seen. It was marble, and though the years had not been kind to the rest of the house, it seemed as if the fireplace would remain forever. Mrs. Combe took a bag out of her purse and opened it, holding it out to me. "Take a handful of powder."

I did as she said and wiped tears away with my free hand. "Now step into the fireplace. That's a good girl." She turned me around to face her and smiled wearily. "Your mother loved you, Scarlett. Never forget that."

"I know."

"Alright, throw the powder floor and speak clearly 'Alderton Manor'."

"What's going to happen to me?"

"You're going to be fine, Scarlett. I promise."

Steeling my courage, I dropped the powder and spoke with intention, "Alderton Manor." Green flames appeared before my eyes and I felt like I was being pulled through the top of my head. The sensation was dizzying and terrifying as I watched other fireplaces appear in and out of my view. Finally, it stopped and I was flung into a dark room.

Coughing, I looked around at my surroundings. A great tapestry hung upon one wall, while a large and aged dining set was to my right. With wobbly knees, I stood to my feet. My voice was hoarse as I shouted, "Hello?"

A shuffling could be heard from behind the two doors leading into the room. With a click, they opened. Standing before me was a small, wizened man of indiscernible age. "You must be the Flannigan girl." He stated without enthusiasm. "Follow me."

I did as he asked, following him up the biggest and grandest staircase I had ever seen in my life. We went down a narrow, dimly lit corridor only to stop at a nondescript oak door. The man knocked three times and an "Enter" was heard. The small man opened the door for me, leaving me to step through. As soon as I was through, the door closed behind me.

"So, you're the Flannigan girl." The man's voice was deep with age and I couldn't help but wonder how Mrs. Combe ever knew someone so wealthy.

"Yes, sir." My voice cracked.

"I understand you lost mother today. My deepest condolences."

The knot in my throat warned me of another influx of tears. "Thank you, sir."

"My name is Arkie Alderton. Welcome to my home."

"Thank you, sir." The tears still threatened to release at any moment and I hoped he would take pity and let me cry in wherever my room was to be.

"You've had a very long day and I'm sure you're tired. We can talk in the morning. I'll have Norwall take you to your room."

Like clockwork, the tiny man returned and led me up another flight of stairs and into an open, sun-filled bedroom, the likes of which I had never seen before. The bed alone was easily the size of our entire trailer. I turned to thank the man named Norwall but he was gone. On any other day, I would have eagerly explored my surroundings, taking in all the sights. But I had lost my mother that day and I felt hollow and alone. The dam burst, and I flung myself onto the bed, having wept myself to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Again, don't own the rights to Harry or the Doctor.**

By afternoon the next day, I was finally awake. I sat in silence, wallowing in the aching of my heart. My mother was gone. She was my only friend in the world and just like that, she was gone. I'd never have blueberry pancakes in the morning with her or hear or laugh again.

Tears swelled once more and I wept again. Eventually, I was able to pull myself together enough where I could leave the bedroom. Venturing out into the hallway, I realized just how large the house truly was. How would I ever find my way in this place? Despairing, I nearly turned around to re-enter my room when something caught my eye.

A tear. In the wall. I had been looking at these tears my entire life. I had even dared to open a few of them. Yet, every time I saw when, it surprised me. They were never where you would expect them to be and I certainly would never have imagined one being across from my room. Curious, I stretched out my hand.

"Lost, Miss?"

I jolted from my curiosity and noticed a figure in the corner of my eye. When I turned to look, a shiver ran down my spine. There, before me, floated the scariest looking figment of a man. I knew about ghosts, my mother and Mrs. Combe had told me about them. But I had never met one in person and I certainly had never imagined my first encounter being with one so frightening.

He was tall and broad with an ugly, fiendish scar across his face: from his right eyebrow down to the base of his throat. He had died a long time ago from the state of his clothing; torn and ragged rags hung about him. "Who-who are you?" I choked.

"First run in with a ghost I take it." He chuckled, a malicious, threatening sound that made the hairs on my neck stand up. "Well, you look like you're in need of a distraction."

I didn't trust this mysterious ghost, whose presence was evidently malign. "You didn't answer my question."

"My name is of no consequence. Come on, how about I take you to where you want to be?" He grinned then, a sight that was terrible and terrifying.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." I began to back up to my door but his swift approach stopped me where I was.

"Little girl," His breath reeked of death and I stifled a scream. "I'm just trying to assist you. Rumor has it you lost your mother yesterday."

"I don't trust you."

"Why ever not?"

"You haven't told me your name."

He laughed again and I braced myself for the worst. "Alright, how about you call me M?"

"M? What's that short for?"

"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" He boomed. I jumped in fright, much to his great delight. "Now come along, there's someplace I think you'd rather enjoy."

"How do I know you're not going to kill me?"

"Silly child! I'm a ghost! I can't kill anyone! Hurry up now!" He began floating down the hall and my desire to solve the puzzle overrode my self-preservation instinct.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see soon enough."

Down narrow corridors and back stairs we went, my heart racing with each step. Who was this 'M'? What did he want with me? The questions ran through my mind, one right after the other. We stopped at set of double oaken doors. "Go on then."

I looked at the doors then back at him. "Why are you so keen on me going in here?"

"I'm just trying to help a girl in mourning. I know what it is to lose someone you love. Distractions are necessary to carry on." They were meant to be comforting but I could see the falsity.

"What do you want?" My eyes narrowed.

"I just want you to look around and enjoy yourself. Oh, look out for the book on awakening the realms. Seems like something you'd be interested in." He smiled that malevolent grin again and I cringed. I turned back to the door, hearing him swoosh down the hallway.

"Alright, time to find out what's in here." Cautiously, I opened the doors, not entirely sure what to do if something were to go wrong. Mr. Alderton was a kind man from what I could gather and I couldn't imagine him owning anything evil. Still, my encounter with M had left me wary.

To my great delight, however, I was greeted with the largest library I had ever seen. For a book lover like myself, it was pure paradise. Shelves grew to the ceiling and a massive set of windows lined the back wall, looking out to the gardens below. Sunlight streamed through the grand, velvet curtains. A squeal escaped my throat when I saw the various spiral staircases and ladders leading to the top of the shelves.

I wasn't sure how long I remained in the library before I stumbled across it, "Portals and Veils: A Guide to Inter-dimensional Travel". What was a book like that doing in a place like this? It had been hiding in a dark corner of one of the lowest shelves. Curious, I opened the front page. Initially, all I saw were ancient runes across the pages. Irritated, I nearly put the book down again, only to be surprised that they suddenly morphed into English characters. "What just-"

"You found the library, I see." Mr. Alderton stated bemusedly.

"Oh!" I jumped in surprise, the book falling to the floor. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Alderton. I didn't hear you...I hope I'm not intruding."

"The library is open to you any time, dear. I came to see if I could interest you in dinner. I know that with all that's happened you might not be hungry but-"

"Dinner would be great." I smiled at him and he returned the gesture. Perhaps he could tell me who M was. Something in me told me to not ask, however, and I held my tongue. Cheerily, Mr. Alderton took me on a tour of the estate, showing me the various rooms and cubbies.

"Scarlett," He began quietly as we sat at the dinner table. I stopped shuffling food around on my plate and put my fork down. "I know things are hard right now. I know the pain you feel is...immeasurable. However, I want you to know that this will be your home for so long as you desire it."

His kind words brought tears to my eyes and I found myself wiping rogue droplets from my cheeks. "I can never replace your mother. And I have no intention to. But I know what it is to lose those who you love. It might not seem like it now, but time makes scars of all things." His brown eyes grew dark and I questioned who he had lost.

"I thought the saying was that time healed all things?"

"No. They're quite mistaken about that. Time takes away the sting but never heals a loss. It remains on you and with you for the whole world to see. The best thing you can do is try to cover it up some so it's not as noticeable to everyone else. But you see it. Everyday, you see it..." His voice faded and we sat in silence for a moment.

"Now," Mr. Alderton cleared his throat. "There is the matter of your schooling. Mrs. Combe had informed me that you possess magical abilities, is this correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. I shall be expecting your acceptance letter to arrive on your eleventh birthday. Which is?"

"July twenty-fourth, sir."

"Splendid. Now, I do believe that I'll be in the shop that day but Mrs. Crumplebottom can take you."

"Who?"

"My secretary. Dorcas Crumplebottom. She's a bit uncouth but she has a good enough heart. She will take you to get your supplies when the time comes."

"Why won't you be there?"

"I own a store in Diagon Alley, in London. It's a broomstick repair shop. I sometimes need to go in to do more difficult work that the others have trouble with."

"Oh, okay."

"Do you have any questions?"

One came to mind. "Are you sure they'll let me in? I mean, I'm not British. I wasn't born here, my parents weren't from here-"

"Had you remained in America, no. Salem has jurisdiction in North America. However, since this is your home now, Hogwarts will be your school. The school that is closest to your location now, is Hogwarts. There's no reason for them to not allow you entrance."

"Great." We spent the rest of the evening discussing trivial matters, like our favorite colors and favorite meals.

The rest of the summer blew by in a haze of reading and crying. My days were spent in the library while my nights were filled with mourning for my mother. Then my birthday came. That morning at breakfast I had the pleasure of meeting Dorcas Crumplebottom. She was an elderly woman, dressed in clothes reminiscent of the thirties. Her hair was thin and gray, worn in the bob of that time.

She was indeed a bit brash. "Your letter came."

"Oh, it did. That's great! Where is it? I want to open it!"

"It's already been opened. I have your list of materials in hand."

"Oh." My heart deflated. I had been wanting to read it myself, just to make sure they had really wanted me.

"Are you about finished with your food? We really need to keep to our schedule."

"Right. Sorry." I quickly scarfed down my remaining piece of toast and flew out of my chair.

That day was a whirlwind of activity. I had never seen a place like Diagon Alley before and I certainly didn't get to for long. Into Flourish and Blotts, the bookstore, out almost instantaneously. It went like this for nearly every store, resulting in me having poked and scraped in Madame Malkin's dress shop, all due to Mrs. Crumplebottom's need for punctuality. She impatiently tapped her feet on the floor at Ollivander's, where I got my wand. A process that couldn't be rushed, according to him. She had also turned her nose up in disgust when I had emerged with a rather large wand.

"What are you supposed to do with that, anyway? It's nearly the size of your arm!"

"It chose me, apparently."

"What is it?"

"Acacia, 13 inches, phoenix feather."

"Acacia? Come on, we're going back. Acacia doesn't work for anyone." She grabbed my hand but I retorted.

"It's my wand. You're not taking it from me. Let's just finish up."

She stared at me for a moment before acquiescing. "Alright, you just need to pick up your owl and then we can return home."

"I thought I could have an owl, or a cat, or a toad?" The woman had worn me out but I wasn't going to forget that part. My entire life, I had wanted a cat. The only problem was that Mom had always said we couldn't afford to take care of one. So instead, I had dreamed of owning one. With the opportunity at hand, there was no way I was going to let it pass me by.

"Yes, but you'll be getting an owl. They're the most useful. They deliver packages and letters. Functionality at its finest."

"Well, I want a cat. So, I'll be getting a cat, actually."

"I don't understand why. Useless things." She turned and marched me into the store, a thousand voices running through my mind at once.

"Why are there so many people in here?"

"People? Dear, are you hallucinating? There's not a lot of people here. Now hurry up and grab your ruddy cat. We have things to do."

Confused, I looked around the shop. A pair of bright blue eyes met mine from the back of the shop and I sought them out. They belonged to a beautiful silver point siamese. "This one."

"Well, get it and go. I don't know why you want that awful thing." Mrs. Crumplebottom stalked to the checkout counter, waving me impatiently.

"She didn't mean it." I whispered to my new friend.

_Of course she did._

"What?" I looked around the shop in confusion, the strange voices still ringing in my ears.

_Of course she meant it. That ghastly woman doesn't like me._

"You!" I said in disbelief. "You're talking!"

_What of it?_

"Are you an animagus? Because cats can't talk."

_Are you daft, girl? Cats talk all the time. And don't bring up that dirty word. Humans. Ha! Try as they might, they're a poor imitation of us at best!_

"This isn't possible." I stated flatly.

_Clearly, it is. Now hurry up, girl. I've been here long enough._

Bewildered, I made my way to the checkout. On the way back to the manor, the strange cat chattered away, all the while making me question my sanity. As soon as we were inside, I made a mad dash to my bedroom (cat in hand), nearly knocking over a suit of armor along the way.

_Slow down! You're going to make me ill!_

I slammed the door behind me and put the cat on the bed. "What are you? Why can I talk to you?"

_Well, heavens if I know. You're the first human who's ever understood me either. _

"Am I insane?"

_A bit dense, perhaps. But not insane._

"Right. There has to be a logical explanation for this."

_Naturally._

"My dad's from space. Maybe it has something to do with that?"

_I wouldn't know. Look, you're entirely skipping the important part._

"What part is that?"

_The part where you give me a name._

"I assumed you had one. I mean you can talk."

_I might be able to talk but I cannot, however, name myself. That's your job. I'm certainly not going to do it for you._

"What did your last owner call you?"

_I didn't have one. You're my first owner. Not that I'm particularly enthused. I was rather happy out there, in the wild..._

"Right. Well, Snowball won't do."

_Heavens, no!_

"Not Fluffy or Cuddlemuggins, either."

_Were you dropped on your head as a child?_

I stood looking at the cat, noting his seemingly great age. "How old are you?"

_Why does it matter?_

"It might help with the name."

_I'm a cat, girl. Not a clock. I don't keep track of the time!_

Sighing, I sat on the bed and picked him up. "You sure are grumpy."

_I wouldn't be, if you were smarter._

"You remind me of someone." I heard the cat sigh inwardly and thought back to books I had read when I was younger. My favorite was the Legend of King Arthur and it was at that moment I had it. "Merlin!"

_I beg your pardon!_

"Merlin! How do you like that name? I used to think he was fantasy until I found out he was real. Mom had a version where he was somewhat grumpy. Reminds me of you."

_Merlin? Hmm...I like it. Sounds...wise and all knowing._

"Merlin?"

_Indeed._

"Well then, Merlin. Nice to meet you."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Don't own Harry Potter or Doctor Who. Sadly. :-(**

The remaining time of summer seemed to fly by in a haze of books. My mind soaked up the knowledge of spell books, history books, and the studies of herbology, potions, and beasts. So engrossed was I in my studying, I began to forget the oddities of being able to speak to and understand my cat.

Merlin was convinced that my dad was a Muggle. _"There are no men from space. That's a story your mother made up to satisfy a girl's desire for her father to be great. You've read nearly every book in the library."_

"So?" I responded with irritation. The cat seemed to judge everything I did. First, I didn't know enough, now I was learning too much. I was pronouncing that spell wrong, etc. His list of dissatisfactions must have been incredibly long.

"_Soo," _he stated with emphasis. _"You haven't found anything that mentions men from outer space."_

If I were to be entirely honest, I was terribly disappointed by that fact. Any clue has to who or what my dad was would have been welcome. My curiosity concerning him piqued, likely due to the fact I had now lost my mother. Though I knew it wasn't likely, part of me was holding out hope that he was still around. Trapped in a vortex somewhere, perhaps?

"Not yet." I responded through gritted teeth. Merlin was so annoying sometimes. The cat had grown on me, despite his tireless teasing and reproaches. He had quickly become my best friend, which I realized didn't help me with people in any way. Once I did get to Hogwarts, I would probably be labeled as that weird girl who didn't need friends because she talked to her cat. Oh well, there was nothing to be done for it.

"_Besides, if that were really true, you would be half alien. I'm pleased to say that you don't look the slightest bit green to me." _

"How do you know aliens are green?" Merlin harumphed in response. "Besides, my mom said he looked human. The only way you could tell he wasn't was if you had a stethoscope on hand. He had two hearts, you see."

_"Of all the ridiculous..." _My cat trailed off, muttering to himself. And so it was anytime my father was brought up, the conversation followed a similar format. Eventually, September the first rolled around and I found myself leaving Arkerton manor that morning.

"Do you know anything about Hogwarts?" I whispered to Merlin as my trolley was loaded with my single trunk (a birthday gift from Arkie).)

_"I was under the impression you had read 'Hogwarts: A History' at least one hundred times by now."_

"Oh, ha-ha. I know the history of it but I know absolutely nothing about the students. Merlin, let's think about this. I'm an American going into a British school. I somehow doubt I'll be welcomed with open arms. I'm a foreigner."

"_You think too much. A Ravenclaw if I ever saw one."_

Despite his protests, I knew Merlin thought I was rather intelligent. I suppose I was. Once I read something, I could remember it forever. I never had any academic difficulties in school at home, it was always social. My mother was rather concerned, most of the time, because my IQ was off the charts. She used to fret about my becoming bored, especially since the local school district thought I should be kept with my age group.

We didn't have much at home, but I devoured all the information I could. The mind was the best weapon, in my opinion, and books were the way to keep it sharp. Mr. Alderton's home library had been a dream come true for me. The volume of knowledge in that room was tremendous. My goal was to be on par with my peers at this new school, so I consumed as much as I could. If there was one thing they couldn't call me, it would be academically unprepared.

"So we just push it through between platforms nine and ten." I noticed the catch in voice. I couldn't help it, I was looking at a brick wall. I knew how magic worked; it wasn't that I didn't trust it was there. It was more of a fact that I was concerned with being seen.

"_Will you go already? We've got a quarter of an hour before the train leaves. I want to find a nice place at the back before it fills up!"_

Sighing, I gripped the handle of my trolley firmly. With one sharp exhale, I took off at full speed, hoping no one noticed. We made it through to the other side, the scarlet smokestack whistling. "Happy now?"

_"Very. Now get on with it, girl." _I scooped Merlin from out of his crate and warily approached the train. I had desperately wished Mr. Arkerton was here but he had pressing matters to attend to in the shop. The best he could do was write down all the directions for me of where to go and what to do. I sighed and boarded, looking fearfully down the aisle.

Unfamiliar voices surrounded me from every direction, laughs echoing down the aisle. Despairing, I finally managed my way to the back of the train. There was one compartment with a single boy in it. I peered at him through the opening and noticed he was staring blankly out the window. "Um, excuse me?" I squeaked.

His head turned towards me. He was rather bony framed, with short black hair and slightly bushy brows. I noted his piercing brown eyes and shifted my stance slightly. "Would you mind if I-"

He shrugged and motioned for me to sit on the seat opposite him. I closed the door to the compartment and sat down awkwardly. Merlin jumped out of my grasp and padded to the end closest to the window. _Sun worshipper,_ I mused. I was always awful at conversations. It wasn't that I didn't try, but I truthfully just didn't know when to start. I had the terrible habit of just rambling off whatever came to mind. But this time, I was determined to avoid doing that. I didn't know anyone, at least I had a fresh start.

We sat in silence for sometime before the whistle blew, indicating we were beginning our journey. The train lurched to a start and I flinched in my seat. I wasn't overly fond of trains. Mom and I had been on our way home from my school one day when we witnessed a car get plowed over. True, the driver shouldn't have parked on the tracks, but I still couldn't get over my fear of them since then.

"Not fond of trains?" I was taken aback by the boy's sudden inquiry.

"Not overly."

"Hmm." He glanced me over and I couldn't help but squirm in my seat. He held me with an intense gaze and I averted my eyes. I shoved the thought from my mind that he was peering into my soul.

I suppose he found whatever he was looking for as he finally extended a pale hand forward. "Kendrick Smythe." His tone was flat.

"Scarlett Flannigan." I replied, taking his hand.

"Is it your first year too?" He asked with disinterest.

"Yes." Well, at least we were in the same age bracket. His body gave the impression that he was the same age as me but there was something in his bearing that made me question my initial summary. Not to mention those hypnotic, penetrating eyes that seemed so full of age. Who was this kid?

"You sound American."

I began to grow tired of his indifferent tone and accusatory stare. "You sound English." I retorted.

"What are you doing here?" He questioned with that same monotonous pitch.

_I told you this would happen! _I hissed to Merlin mentally. The cat didn't seem to notice and I crossed my arms. If that was how it was going to be, fine. "It's a long story. I'd rather be at Salem Institute." I added this last part rather hurriedly.

"It's a five hour ride."

I hadn't had a whole lot of interaction with boys my age, other than having paper stuck in my hair and mud slung at me. Again, I had a problem with people. Still, I was fairly certain his behavior wasn't normal.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Fair enough." He returned his gaze out the window and relief filled me. It was only for a moment, however, as a woman with a cart full of sweets arrived at our compartment.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" Kendrick Smythe shook his head and I looked between him and the cart. It may have sounded a bit odd, but I could have sworn he was repulsed by the items.

"Do you have any chocolate?" My voice was squeaky again.

"Frogs, eggs, or bars?"

"Just a bar, please." I handed over the according money from the small pouch Mr. Alderton had left with my instructions that morning. She closed the door again as she turned around and left me alone with my rather odd companion.

"Typical girl..." He mumbled to himself.

"Okay, what is your problem?" It flew off my tongue before I could stop it. I main problems with other humans stemmed from two root causes: one was that I didn't understand how their tiny minds worked, the other was that I didn't seem to have to much of a filter when provoked.

"I don't understand-"

"You've been sitting there this entire time seeming entirely disinterested and disgusted by me. Why did you invite me in in the first place?"

Those brown eyes were upon me again and I fidgeted in my seat. "I'm not disgusted by you." Flat response. Again.

"But you're still disinterested."

"On the contrary, I'm rather interested." How that was discernible from his tone was beyond me. True, he was asking questions, but the manner in which he delivered them seemed half-hearted. Then again, who was I was to say anything? He probably annoyed me because he was a lot like me; I'd read that somewhere. After all, I had been accused many times of seeming disinterested.

The truth was that I just wanted the facts. I didn't want someone opening up to me because they thought we were going to be friends. I didn't have friends. What was the point when humanity was generally so flaky?

My mother was frequently irritated with my outlook of the world as a whole. She frequently stated that my view was far too cynical for my age. I was supposed to be enthusiastic about life. She had misunderstood me. I was enthusiastic about life and adventures, it was my peers I didn't understand. I supposed this was from a lack of decent exposure to other people. She said I read too much.

Still, I was at least trying this time. I had lost my entire family this summer. Maybe, if I at least tried, I could gain a few friends. Perhaps not everyone was so transitional. I needed the companionship, to be certain and I would make an effort my mom.

"Well then, how about I ask you some questions?" The boy shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. "What? You can dish it out but you can't take it?"

I felt his eyes probing me but my competitive streak had kicked in. I didn't so much as flinch this time. "Aunt Georgina says I need to make friends."

"Aunt Georgina?"

"She raised me. When my parents died..." He trailed off.

"Oh." I chewed my lip for a moment before responding. "My mom died this summer." I couldn't figure out why I was telling this strange boy anything. Maybe it was because he was without a mom too.

"I'm sorry." Kendrick's voice was barely audible.

"America isn't a good place to be if you're a wizard right now. She was killed in a raid on our neighborhood." Why did I tell him that?

He nodded solemnly before his eyes landed on the book atop my apparated trunk. "Is that a book on quantum chromodynamics?" For the first time, his voice held expression.

I should probably state that because I was always hungry for knowledge, I was rather fond of reading stuff I shouldn't understand. I couldn't explain why I could. But I did. Not only that, I enjoyed it. "Yeah. Why?"

"Would you mind if I?" He sounded in awe. I nodded my assent and he gingerly grabbed it from atop the shelf, careful to climb down.

I watched as he lovingly stroked the spine, slowly moving his hand across the front cover. "You know that if the spin of a particle has a positive projection it's-"

"Considered right-handed." I finished. At that moment, whatever strangeness was between us evaporated. The hours sped by as we enthusiastically discussed subjects varying from thermonuclear astrophysics and string theory to our favorite works of literature. The realization dawned on me that we were more than likely going to be the freaks of our year.

At that moment, the compartment door slid open and our discussion of the gauge invariant was cut short. "Excuse me, have you seen a toad?" A girl with bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth asked in a bossy tone.

I noticed Kendrick's displeasure. "Bufonidae, Bombinatoridae, Discoglossidae, Pelobatidae, Rhinophrynidae, Scaphiopodidae, or Microhylidae?"

The girl's eyes opened wide. "I'm not sure. His name is Trevor, he belongs to a boy named Neville."

"No." Kendrick responded curtly.

_I'm trying to make friends. _I reminded myself. "If see him, we'll let you know?"

"Hermione. Hermione Granger." She sniffed. "Come on, Neville. Time to start over." Kendrick and I watched as the boy lumbered after her.

"That was showing off a bit." I stated bemusedly.

"Maybe. Still, it's rude to interrupt conversation."

The train began to slow and I gripped the seat for security. Kendrick smirked across from me and rolled his eyes. "I take it we're here."

"Come on, Yank. We've got a sorting ceremony to get to." He left the compartment with a smirk on his face. I stood for a brief moment before following after my mysterious new friend.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: You know the deal**

"So what house are you hoping for?" I asked as we filed into the aisle.

Kendrick shrugged and we exited the train. It was pitch black outside and I found myself shivering from the cold. "Is it always this cold in September?"

I heard Kendrick snort. "Where are you from in the States, anyhow?"

"Georgia."

"Well, yes. This is Britain. It gets cold here quickly." I wrapped my robes around me tightly but it didn't seem to help any. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, I saw a lamp appear over our heads.

"Firs' years over here! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

Harry? Surely not Potter. Doing a quick calculation in my head I realized it probably was the legendary Harry Potter. I had only read about him over the summer, how he had defeated the greatest dark wizard of our time at the mere age of one. The author seemed rather enthused, but I could only view it as sad. He was just a baby, he wouldn't remember. All he probably ever knew was that his parents were gone. Empathy overtook me; after all, orphans have a tendency to feel for one another.

I looked up to see the biggest man I had ever seen. He was a giant of a man, with wild black hair and a great, fluffy beard. I caught my mouth hanging open and closed it quickly. Likely, he was at least half giant. He was too huge not to be.

"C'mon, follow me-any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" The man was going down an incredibly narrow path. With it being as dark as it was, I found my feet occasionally falling into divots along the path. Twice, I nearly completely fell flat on my face.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," He boomed at us, "jus' round this bend here."

I heard the group collectively "Oooh!" Reflecting off a black lake, was a castle. Not just any castle, a huge, lofty castle with turrets and towers, all filled with sparkling windows. The sight made me reflexively intake a breath. I had never in all my life seen anything so magnificent. In Georgia, the closest thing we had to castles were the old plantation homes. This had those beat. By a long shot.

"No more'n four to a boat!" The man shouted. It was at that moment that I finally noticed the small boats lining the shore. I looked at Kendrick and we waved me on. Hurriedly, I scrambled inside, hitting my shin as I did so.

"Ouch!"

"What did you do?"

"Ran into the boat."

I heard him snort again. A girl with dirty blonde hair and a rather chubby boy got in behind us. I took a brief glance behind me; the two of them looked as nervous as I felt. This was all so very foreign to me. As we sailed nearer and nearer towards the castle, my heart's race increased. _I don't belong here. I'm a girl from a trailer park in Georgia. I don't belong in a castle..._On and on the anxious thoughts came, until finally, I thought I was going to be sick.

"Heads down!" The man called. There was a curtain of ivy at the cliff and we all ducked our heads. The dark tunnel spread before us and I was thankful I wasn't claustrophobic. _We must be traveling under the castle. _I thought to myself, briefly. The boats docked at an underground harbor and we all jumped onto the pebbled shore.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" The man called out to the Neville boy.

"Trevor!" The boy came running, holding out his hands eagerly. _There's one mystery solved._

We all followed the giant up a passageway before we finally arrived on grassy ground. Stone steps loomed before me and my heart rose to my throat. My mouth was dry from anxiety and I hoped we wouldn't be required to say anything.

"Everyone here? You there, still got your toad?" He raised his massive fist and knocked thrice on the oaken door.

I'm still not certain exactly what I was expecting to see upon opening of the door. Perhaps, my mind was conjuring up a monster or a dragon. All there was, however, was a rather stern looking woman with black hair and square spectacles. _Right, don't make her mad. _

"The firs' years, Professor McGongall."

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

I knew that we would be fine. The history book informed me that all there was to sorting was the placing of the hat upon our heads. Still, I felt trepidatious. The entrance hall was massive, with stone walls and an enormously tall ceiling. I noted the grand marble staircase that seemed to wind forever upwards. I was definitely out of my league. Why couldn't I be at Salem? Their long, wooden buildings were considerably less intimidating.

Regardless, I followed the professor along with the rest of the group. Voices reverberated throughout the castle and I couldn't help but wonder if they were all students. We were led to a smaller, empty chamber off the main hall. I felt like a sardine in a can, being thronged together with such a large group.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses..." She continued her speech but I wasn't listening. All I could think of was the fact that I was in a castle, in a foreign country, crammed together with a group of kids I didn't know, far away from all I had ever known. It wasn't pleasant, it wasn't fun, and I just wanted my mom. My mom, who I would never see again.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her words drew out from my thoughts and I looked around nervously. "I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."

I certainly wasn't going to say anything. Hermione Granger, on the other hand, was whispering furiously about spells she had learned and anxiously questioning which ones she needed. Naturally, when we were all already spooked, the ghosts showed up. Twenty or so people screamed, while I nervously rubbed my hands together. Given my previous encounter with a ghost, I wasn't too keen on any of them.

They seemed friendly enough but I wasn't taking chances. "New students!" The Fat Friar exclaimed enthusiastically. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few silent heads bobbed in assent. "Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old House, you know." He stated enthusiastically.

"Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." McGonagall was back. I watched as the ghosts floated off in varying directions. _Good riddance._

We followed Professor McGonagall through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. What a place it was. Lit by thousands upon thousands of floating candles, the room seemed vast. Four incredibly long tables were lined with golden plates and goblets, each flanked with students. She led us up to the long table, at which the teachers sat. One glance upwards revealed a twinkling ceiling filled with a replica of the night sky.

The professor placed a four legged stool in front of us. Then came the pointed wizard's hat. I couldn't imagine a more shabby looking accessory, patched and frayed and dirty. All eyes were upon the hat, like we expected it to eat us. The sudden twitching of the hat made me jump in surprise. As the rip near the brim began to sing, I found myself panicking again.

_Don't lose it now, Scarlett! It will all be over soon. You'll get Sorted into a House and then you can go to sleep. Don't panic. _

The hat finished its song as the crowd burst into applause. The hat itself bowed in response.

Professor McGonagall held a long roll of parchment in her hands. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbot, Hannah!"

A blonde girl with pigtails stumbled towards the stool and put on the hat and sat down. One moment later the hat had an answer.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" It shouted.

The table to the right cheered and clapped as she sat down at their table. The Fat Friar waved eagerly at her.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped. My stomach lurched. _What if it doesn't have a place for me? What if it says nothing and I have to go back to Alderton Manor? I don't have a home anymore. What's going to happen to me?_

"Brockelhurst, Mandy!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brown, Lavender!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" The farthest table to left burst into cheers. Millicent Bulstrode became the first Slytherin.

"Corner, Michael!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

Surely, I wouldn't be sent back. Just because I wasn't from here didn't mean there wasn't a place for me. Right?

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

I can distinctly remember the overwhelming sense of fear as Professor McGonagall called, "Flannigan, Scarlett!"

My stomach jumped in loops and my heart raced heavily. Nervously, I approached the stool. Carefully, I placed the hat upon my head and sat down. _Now what?_

_"Hmm, interesting. An excellent mind, I see." _The hat's voice echoed in my mind myself exams aware of my hands trembling. _"A quest for truth. Always seeking truth. Loyal but not easily. Brave but smart about it. Subtle, not showy. Ravenclaw or Slytherin? Slytherin or Ravenclaw?"_

"RAVENCLAW!" The hat shouted. With great relief, I slipped the hat off and headed for the cheering Ravenclaw table. I sat next to Michael Corner. We grinned with relief at each other and I resumed my attention to the others.

_I made it! Yes, I made it! _Hermione was sorted into Gryffindor, which was big shock to me. She seemed like she belonged at our table. Neville Longbottom was named a Gryffindor as well.

A boy named Draco Malfoy barely had the hat touch his head when it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!" Something about him made my spine tingle and I decided I didn't like him.

"Potter, Harry!"

It was like time stood still. Here was the boy that the others idolized, were fanatic about. Where would he be put. The crowd was on the edge of their seats as the hat dropped over his eyes. Moments later, a loud "GRYFFINDOR!" was shouted, to the great pleasure of the Gryffindor table.

Cheers of "We got Potter!" rose from their table. I noticed the delight upon the man who could only be the headmaster's face. He was seated in a large gold chair, at the very center of the table.

"Smythe, Kendrick!"

I secretly hoped he would end up in Ravenclaw, just so I'd have a friendly face around. Sadly, it was not to be. After what seemed like ages, the hat finally gave a very loud, "SLYTHERIN!"

Sighing, I looked around my table. Nope, not a single familiar face. The last Ravenclaw, the girl I recognized from the boat, was Lisa Turpin. She plonked down next to me, a big, gappy smile on her face. "Hi! Lisa, nice to meet you!"

She was certainly friendly. I took her outstretched hand. "Scarlett. Likewise." I forced a quick grin and she smiled back. I looked down at my plate and hoped I wasn't required to eat anything. The thought of food made my stomach turn.

The headmaster rose to his feet. "That's Albus Dumbledore." Lisa whispered into my ear. "He's the headmaster. Rumor has it that he's a bit mad."

Great. Gossip. Just what I always liked to hear.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

"Thank you!"

Upon returning to his seat, the congregation cheered and clapped. Lisa Turpin whispered in my ear again. "Told you."

Maybe I was mad too, but looking around the room and having read a brief description of each house, I couldn't help but feel I understood what he meant. Nitwit would probably be the insult given by Ravenclaw. Blubber: Gryffindor's. Oddment, given the bigotry of Slytherin, could only be used to refer to all those not in their house. And tweak, was related to Hufflepuff, as they felt the others needed to be tweaked. Then again, it very well could have been the lack of sleep I'd had the night previous. Who knows for certain?

What I did know, was that I was disappointed that Kendrick had been sorted into Slytherin. They were, by far, the most disliked of the Houses. And for good reason. Their history of dark wizards and general hatred of non-purebloods was legendary. I shuddered to think he could be like them, but then again, I had only known him for five hours. Clearly, I wasn't a good judge of character.

I looked down again to see the table was filled with every type of food imaginable. My stomach flipped and I looked over to the Slytherins. Kendrick was listening to Draco Malfoy with seeming disinterest. _Prove them wrong, Kendrick. _I didn't want to think that someone who was my intellectual equal could be evil. Maybe it was naive, but I just couldn't help myself.

Lisa chatted away during dinner; no one seemed to notice I wasn't eating. When everyone had finished, dessert appeared and the routine continued. I occasionally nodded now and then to make it appear that I was listening. She seemed nice enough. Frankly, I just wasn't in the mood. I made a mental note to try to be friendlier in the morning.

At long last, the desserts vanished and Dumbledore rose to his feet. The room quieted. "Ahem- just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Everyone at the table looked at one another uncomfortably. Was this a joke to freak out the first years? No, couldn't be. Everyone else seemed just as spooked.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" The last thing I wanted to do was sing, so while the rest of the school sang along, I took a sudden interest in my fingernails.

When the pair of redheaded twins finished their funeral march, and Dumbledore dismissed us to our dormitories, Lisa and I followed Penelope Clearwater, the prefect. Upstairs, we climbed, with portraits whispering eagerly amongst themselves. Eventually, we came to the fifth floor.

"While the other Houses have a password, we instead must answer a question posed by the eagle. To get it wrong encourages the continual search of knowledge." I stifled a yawn as the eagle knocker sprang to life.

"Where did Rowena Ravenclaw hail from?" The voice was odd and creaky. All I could think about was going to bed and putting the day behind me. I didn't take anxiety well.

"The Glens." The door opened with a creak and we all filed in. A wide, circular room revealed itself as we entered. The ceiling was dome, painted with stars. Blue and bronze tapestries hung upon the walls. Large, arched windows looked out to the mountains surrounding us. Bookshelves seemed to cover the remaining wall space. A door directly opposite the entrance led to the dormitories, or so the prefect said. Next to the door stood a marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, a diadem upon her head.

Wearily, I followed after Lisa Turpin through the door. We were directed to the girls' dormitory up the spiral staircase and I finally allowed myself to yawn. Five beds greeted us upon entry into the room. Each was placed into a nook near a window, with a wardrobe on one side and a desk on the other. Rich, blue, velvet curtains framed the bed. I found my trunk was to the left of the center bed. Merlin was already sleeping soundly upon the bed. I was too tired to make chit chat with the other girls, who all seemed to have gained a bit of excited energy. I threw on my pajamas and slid into bed, thinking about how differently my life was turning out.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Don't own the rights. Yada, yada, yada. **

I wish I could say that my first night at Hogwarts was wonderful. That I slept soundly, with lovely dreams of unicorns or something. But I didn't. No sooner had I fallen asleep, I was thrust into a nightmare.

In my dream, I was on a ship. When I say ship, I don't mean a boat in the water. The ship in question was a spaceship of sorts, with a hexagonal console in the center. A center light strand rose from the center of the console, leading up to a large overhead mechanism. Humming noises emanated from the room. This in itself wasn't so much terrifying as awe inspiring. The disconcerting part was the man in the center of the room.

He was quite tall, with the same flame-red hair as myself. Tall as he was, he was still quite narrow shouldered, with a magenta waistcoat and brown overcoat. His pants were business attire, however, they were completely covered with patches. One read, "Moon of Poosh: Tell Your Friends!"

The man was fiddling with something on the console, anxiously looking over his shoulder to a long, metal box behind him. The box was locked and I became aware of a fog streaming out of it. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was likely something akin to liquid nitrogen. Sweat beaded on his forehead and slammed his right hand down on the console.

At that moment, the entire ship quaked. Lights flickered and the happy humming stopped. "I'm so sorry." His voice surprised me. It was old and sorrowful, with just a hint of fear. He looked at the box as he said it. It was then that I noticed he held something clenched in his left hand. His fingers released and it was then that he began to weep.

"I'm so sorry." It was wracked with sobs. His hand closed around the object again and he slid down to floor, his morose cries echoing throughout the room. I longed to comfort him but I wasn't sure how. Hesitantly, I approached him.

"Sir," I began. "Don't cry. It's going to be alright."

He didn't seem to hear me. Trying again, I ventured forward. Placing my hand upon his shoulder, I hoped that perhaps he would notice. My hand went through him. I couldn't help. As far as he knew, he was alone. The ship quaked again, wiring falling from the ceiling in sparks.

I looked around the room, not exactly sure of what I was hoping for. Explosions could be heard from outside. With one last sob, he clutched the object in his hand to his mouth. "Be safe." He whispered before jumping to the console again.

"Time to end this!" He pulled a lever and the ship began to shake violently. The humming returned, growing louder and louder, each time higher than before. The last thing I remember before waking was a siren piercing the space.

I awoke sweating, my skin burning to the touch. A quick glance around the room revealed that the other girls were still sleeping. Sighing, I flopped back onto my madness. The clock stated that it was three fifteen in the morning. I couldn't go back to sleep after my dream. Not to say that I was entirely certain it was a dream. I had inherited my mother's gifts, after all.

When I rose to my feet, I realized that I was trembling. I took a moment to catch my breath before going downstairs to the bathrooms. I entered into the shower with the dream replaying in mind on a loop, trying to deconstruct what I had seen.

My mind was still racing when I entered the common room. I thought to search the bookcases for anything about spaceships or alien life, but to no avail. Wearily, I sat in one of the blue wing-backs near the windows. I looked out at the dark, mountainous landscape and shivered.

Who was the man? Where was he? What was happening? Then there was the matter of the box. The mysterious, smoking box that seemed to disturb the oddly dressed man. I thought on the possibilities for nearly two hours before the first of my roommates descended the stairs.

"You're up early." Lisa Turpin stated with irritation.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Hmmph." I noted that she wasn't much of a morning person.

"Why are you up early?" Remembering my vow to be more friendly that day, I sought to make conversation.

"Habit. Dad was in the military, made us get up at the crack of dawn to do drills." She flopped down in the chair beside me, her blonde hair messed in every direction.

"Wow."

"Yeah. What classes have we got today?"

"I don't know. We probably get a schedule at breakfast or something."

We sat in silence for a while before Lisa blurted, "I'm hungry. Want to grab a pasty or something?"

"A what?"

"Oh yeah. You're American." It's like the realization suddenly hit her. "Hey, why are you here?"

"Long story." I stated grimly, scowling as I did so.

"Well, it's nice that you're here. The other girls told me to sod off last night. Said I talk too much." I mentally nodded in agreement. "I can't help it. It's my coping mechanism. Anytime I'm put into a new situation, I just ramble. I know it's not great or anything, I just do it." She sighed heavily.

"You weren't expecting this?" So she wasn't sure of all this either.

"Are you joking? My parents are Muggles. Dad's a retired officer turned cabby and Mum's a librarian." Lisa tucked her feet beneath her. "I was just hoping to survive school. Never thought I'd end up here. One day, I'm just the smart, awkward girl. The next day, I'm a witch."

"If it's any consolation, at least you're not the weird, American girl."

Lisa grinned and I smirked. "So, I'm assuming a pasty is food?"

She laughed. "Yeah. It's a baked pastry thing. I'm rather fond of having them for breakfast."

"Right. Well, um, I hope they have something normal. Like hash-browns or pancakes." At pancakes, I felt a pang in my stomach. Mom. I shook my head and Lisa and I set off to find the Great Hall for breakfast.

"I don't suppose you found a map in any of your summer research, did you?" She asked as we came to a dead end.

"Nope. Want to go back?"

"This is kind of like an adventure. Let's turn around and go left this time."

Eventually, we found an older student who directed us to the Great Hall. A few students dotted the tables but, for the most part, it was just us. "Schedules, ladies."

At that point, the days moved on in a blur. Three days a week we had Herbology in the greenhouses with the Slytherins. History of Magic was taught by a ghost and was "dead" boring. Most of the time, Lisa fell asleep. Charms was rather enjoyable, being taught by the Head of Ravenclaw: Professor Flitwick. He was tiny, he had to stand on a thick pile of books to see over his desk. I found him to be rather munchkin like. Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall was a serious matter, requiring great concentration.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was probably the most anticipated, however the instructor, Professor Quirrell, was a complete buffoon. Most of the time, he seemed terrified by his own subject. Which was, of course, slightly amusing. It didn't help that his classroom smelled like garlic, something that was rumored to be due to his meeting of a vampire in Romania.

We had double potions with the Hufflepuffs on Thursday. The Head of Slytherin House, Professor Snape, was also the instructor of potions. Our first class was...interesting. It was quite apparent that Snape didn't think much of the Hufflepuffs. He made one girl named Hannah Abbot cry. The only good thing about potions that day, was that Lisa and I perfectly brewed the boil cure. Snape didn't seem particularly pleased about this.

Friday evening, however, was a different matter entirely. Over the week, I had come to like Lisa. She was beginning to feel comfortable around me, which meant she didn't talk as much. There were several times when I nearly lost it, but remembered that my mom had always hoped I'd have friends, so I tried. I was rewarded for it. Friday evening was our Astronomy class and Lisa was grumbling about it at dinner.

"I don't see why we have to learn this stuff!" She cried, as we climbed the stairs in the astronomy tower. "What are we going to do with knowing how many rings Saturn has? Honestly."

I gave her a sympathetic look and opened the door. Truth be told, I was more excited about this class than any of the others. As much appeal as DADA had, given that I lost my mom this summer, Astronomy reminded me of my dad. True, I had never known him, never so much as seen a picture of him, but Mom said he was from space. Maybe looking at the stars would make him more real to me.

Professor Sinistra was nice enough, if a bit dull. Our first class, she gave a brief overview of the term and started us on learning the names and positions of the planets. Lisa's groans frequently caught my attention while we looked through our telescopes. Some students were nodding off.

Perhaps it was crazy, but I never felt so alive than when I looked at the stars. It had always been true. I remembered being a little girl and asking Mom if we could go to the lake and look at the stars. I knew most of them already, Mom had told me about her adventures with Dad and it made me curious. I spent most of my summers reading up on astronomy and the many stars and galaxies they contained.

I finished my chart that first night, to which Professor Sinistra was skeptical. "Are you sure about this?" She asked with raised brows.

"Positive." I saw her scowl as she unrolled my parchment. At first her face was expressionless, but then I saw her mouth drop in surprise.

"You've just-" She looked back and forth from me to the paper. "I've never-" I stood there, silently wishing she'd finish a sentence. "Did you cheat?" She asked finally.

"No, ma'am." I replied seriously.

"How did you-"

"I always had an interest in the stars, Professor. I've been studying them for as long as I can remember."

"Right." She rolled my parchment up and handed it back to me. "Well, ten points to Ravenclaw. Keep up the good work. I trust your spring chart will be just as accurate."

I returned to my spot by Lisa, smiling to myself. "Did you just finish an entire term's worth of work in two hours?" She asked with disbelief.

I shrugged and looked at the heavens eagerly. Maybe, just maybe, my dad was still out there. A flicker of hope rose inside me. _Maybe he'll come for me. _I thought hopefully, smiling all the while.

Everyone else went to sleep immediately that night, but I lay awake in my bed. Merlin was snoring at the foot of the bed. I looked out my window at the night sky, imagining my dad materializing outside. I'd throw on my clothes and sneak outside. I didn't care. I'd break the rules if it meant I could see my dad. Then, we'd travel the universe together, exploring every nook and cranny. It was well into morning before I finally fell asleep, my last thought being of my dad.


	7. Chapter 7

A few weeks into school and I had already settled into a routine. Lisa had definitely grown on me. Someone else I was beginning to develop a friendship with was Hermione Granger. We frequently met in the library, studying together. She was intense and could sometimes be a bit bossy but I found her company enjoyable all the same.

I seemed to be the only one of that opinion. Her fellow Gryffindors found her to be obnoxious and most Ravenclaws wouldn't go near her with a ten foot pole. She was lonely and, since I felt like the odd man out most days, I tried my best to be her friend. Something that was sometimes difficult, given that I sometimes questioned her humanity.

"I don't think I've ever seen her get tired." I stated one morning at breakfast to Lisa. "Honestly, she practically lives in the library."

"You're the one who decided to be friends with her." Lisa replied grimly.

"She's not a bad person! She's actually quite sweet, but her study habits are a bit-"

"Ridiculous?"

"Yeah."

"Well, not all of us can remember everything we've ever read. I don't know why you even bother studying." It had taken somewhere around three days for Lisa to realize I was a walking, talking encyclopedia. When she asked me about it, I was honest. Since then, the teasing hadn't stopped.

"Knowledge is power, after all. A few more sources on a subject isn't going to hurt."

Lisa snorted and I sighed at my toast. It was dry and tasteless, not to mention overly crumby. The next thing I knew, I was offended by my toast. "Do you ever get annoyed with toast?"

She gave me a weird look and I decided to keep my thoughts on breakfast to myself. The school was still buzzing with the news of a Gringotts break in. I didn't understand the significance until Su Li explained that Gringotts was supposed to be impenetrable. "The safest bank in the world," She had said. All I had to say was, "Clearly not."

If I hadn't mentioned her before, Su Li was another girl my year. She was quiet and reserved and didn't say much. Padma Patil was also in my dorm. Her twin sister had been sorted into Gryffindor but they still seemed to be attached at the hip. So it's a good thing I took up with Lisa because I likely wouldn't have had anyone else to talk to.

I had talked to Kendrick once since the train ride. He was too busy hanging out with another Slytherin named Theodore Knott. His dad used to be a Death Eater under the authority of Voldemort, who by the way, was the wizard Harry Potter defeated. Everyone seemed to still be scared of Voldemort's name but I didn't understand why. It was just a name after all. Still, I learned to say "You-Know-Who" to keep my peers content.

For some ridiculous reason, I missed Kendrick. Lisa was intelligent once you got past her jibber-jabbering but she didn't seem to share the same interests I did. Even though I didn't know him very well, he was the only other person I met who was as interested in science and math as I was. Our singular conversation went like this:

"How's Slytherin treating you?"

"Fine." I noticed how he seemed to shut down at my question.

"Well, um, you seem to have made some friends."

"I guess." His hands were all twitchy.

"I'm great, by the way." I stated with annoyance. He merely nodded in response. I gave up at that point. "Well, nice seeing you. I guess." I walked away before he could say anything. Which, of course, he didn't anyway. My main thought was that boys were idiots.

Still, life moved on and classes stopped for no one. Gossip travelled quickly around Hogwarts, like the fact that Harry Potter was the new Gryffindor seeker, even though he was only a first year. Apparently, it was a big deal that he was the youngest quidditch player in a century. I didn't know much about it because I had always preferred quodpot, the American equivalent. All the same, I still wasn't much of a sports enthusiast.

Perhaps the biggest event, however, was the journey of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger into the forbidden third floor corridor. I had been sitting in the library, reading a book on the theories of interdimensional travel when Hermione came bustling in. She plopped next to me and began rummaging through her bag.

"What's up with you?" I'm not sure what I was expecting but it certainly wasn't what followed.

"What do you know about the third floor corridor?" She whispered conspiratorially.

"It's a big no-no to go there."

Hermione's eyes darted around the room, as if she was seeking proof of an audience. "Harry, Ron, and I ended up there last night."

"What?!" I hissed. I wasn't exactly a stickler for rules, but I did have a thing about wandering off unprepared. What were they thinking?

"It wasn't intentional." She said defensively. "Harry and Ron were on their way to a midnight duel against Malfoy." I rolled my eyes and she grimaced. "It was really stupid of them but anyway, I followed them, we nearly got caught by Filch. That's how we ended up there."

"Escaping from Filch?" Mr. Filch was quite possibly the most foul tempered squib I had ever met. Sure, he was born without magic but did that give him the right to be such a jerk all the time? No, it certainly did not. The only thing worse than Filch was that creepy cat of his, Mrs. Norris. And I liked cats.

Hermione nodded. "So, what was in there?"

She gave a glance around the room once more. "A three-headed dog."

My eyes opened wide. "A what?"

"A three-headed dog. And that's not all. It was guarding something. It was standing on a trapped door."

I exhaled slowly. "So the school put a Cerberus to guard something. The sorcerer's stone goes missing from Gringott's..."

"Harry said Hagrid took something from that vault that was broken into when they went to Gringott's. He said it was small."

Why would anyone put the sorcerer's stone in the school? It didn't make any sense. Unless, they felt Gringott's wasn't safe? "Do you think that's what's in there?"

"I don't know." Hermione stated with annoyance. "It does seem likely though, doesn't it?"

"Do you need me to do some research on Cerberuses?"

"I know that according to myth, they guarded the underworld. But I can't see what use that would be here."

"I'll do some digging and let you know what I find."

"Thanks," Hermione rose to her feet. "And thanks for being you know,"

"Helpful?"

"A friend." She smiled weakly and exited the library.

Since that day, I had been doing plenty of research, but nothing particularly helpful came across my way. It was just the same old story from the myths. Still, I kept digging, because I was obsessive and wasn't sleeping. I knew I was going to have to sleep at sometime, but the thought of watching the man's suffering made my stomach churn. The worst nightmare is the one where you're completely useless.

As Lisa and I left breakfast, I found myself cringing at the thought of the dreams. Lisa noticed my behavior and asked the dreaded question, "So are you sleeping yet?"

I sighed as we made our way to Herbology. "Noticed that, huh?"

"It's hard not to notice the incessant page turning at three in the morning."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to keep you awake too."

"I'm just worried. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not right now. Later, I promise."

"You had better."

That was the very thing I was dreading.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Still don't own the rights. Fair warning, this one is a two-parter. Enjoy :-)**

Halloween at Hogwarts was, without a doubt, the most interesting in my life. I awoke that morning to the smell of pumpkin baking. Perhaps one of the most unusual things about this particular Halloween was that I had been invited to Kendrick's birthday party in the dungeons. I certainly wasn't expecting Draco Malfoy to invite me the night before. Nonetheless, I agreed to attend. A nagging feeling remained in the back of mind throughout the day, though I couldn't figure out why.

I shrugged it off and descended the stairs from Ravenclaw tower with Lisa. It had been weeks since the day I finally told her about my strange dreams. Her initial reaction was one of surprise followed by deep worry that maybe it wasn't just a nightmare. She rattled something off about projections as calls for help and that we should look into it further, something to which I wasn't overly keen on. We hadn't spoken of it since, but I got the distinct impression she didn't approve of me putting the research off.

"So you got invited to Creepy Boy's birthday?" Lisa stated confusedly as we made our way to breakfast.

I rolled my eyes. For some reason, Lisa found Kendrick to be highly unsettling. "Yes. It's supposed to be in the dungeons after the feast tonight. They got special permission from Professor Snape or something. I guess he's become quite popular." That last part was a bit surprising to me. Kendrick certainly didn't seem to socialize very much. The main person I saw him talking to was Theodore Knott; even then, they mostly sat in silence and watched the other students.

"You're not going are you?" Her voice was laden with disapproval.

"I was planning on it."

Lisa made a face before continuing, "I really don't think you should be associating with Slytherins. Everyone knows they're trouble."

"They can't be all bad, surely." She looked at me pointedly and I sighed. "Kendrick was really nice."

"That one time he talked to you."

I slathered my toast with jelly and pursed my lips. I appreciated Lisa's friendship but sometimes her overprotectiveness was annoying. She had been putting a sleeping charm on me each night before bed to make sure I slept the whole time. It was a sweet gesture, but for some reason she felt the need to mother me.

"You wouldn't understand, but I would really like to be friends with him. He's the only person here who understands physics."

"I still don't think it's a good idea, Scarlett. They have a reputation and associating with one..."

"Will garner me the same?"

"Definitely. Besides, he didn't invite you himself, did he? Clearly, he doesn't want to be friends."

"Who doesn't want to be friends?" Kendrick chirped.

"Speak of the devil..." Lisa muttered under her breath.

"Nobody. What's up?" I asked nonchalantly.

"I know we haven't exactly spoken in a while..." He trailed off and I quirked a brow. That was the understatement of the century. "But it's my birthday today and I was wondering if you wanted to come to my party tonight? It's in the dungeons-"

"After the feast." I finished.

"Yeah. So do you want to come?" His right hand twitched. If not for that give away, I would never have thought him nervous. That boy had an excellent poker face.

"I already told Malfoy I'd be there."

"Oh. He didn't say anything. Well, er, great! See you there!" He spun around and quickly walked off before stopping mid step. "Er, you can come too, um?" He was looking at Lisa.

"Lisa." She replied blandly.

"Lisa. Any friend of Scarlett is cool to come." He waved and returned to his frenzied pace.

"Any friend of Scarlett is cool to come? What was that?" Lisa asked with disbelief.

"I don't know. Maybe he realized I wouldn't fit in with a bunch of snakes?"

"I think Creepy Boy has a wittle-crushy-wushy on you."

I glowered at Lisa but she laughed any way. "Shut up. We're going to be late."

We arrived to double potions on time, much to my relief. Professor Snape was partial to Slytherins and Slytherins alone, so if anyone else was late, there was hell to pay. The moment we had descended the stairs into the dungeons, my hairs stood on end. A chill ran down my spine and that nagging became an uncomfortable constricting in my gut. _What is going on? _

I looked around but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. I tried to shake it off and focus on my classwork but it was incredibly difficult. Normally, I was rather adept at potions, but the dread I was feeling caused me to flub our cough potion. Snape was none too pleased and I couldn't apologize enough.

"What is wrong with you today?" Lisa hissed as I cleaned up the overflow from the cauldron.

"I don't know. Is this place not giving you the creeps?"

"No more so than usual." She eyed me nervously. "You're really pale, Scarlett. Maybe you should go to the Hospital Wing."

"I'm fine. Just a really bad stomachache." I gritted my teeth and we finished our potion. No one was happier than I was when Snape dismissed class but I still wanted to investigate. This entire sensation was far too random an occurrence for me to put it off. I was a scientist and I was determined to figure out what was going on. I hung around until everyone else had left the room, telling to Lisa to go on to lunch without me. It took her several minutes but she finally agreed.

Once she was gone, I snatched my wand from my robes and cautiously crept around the empty corridor. Something was amiss and I was determined to find out what it was. I heard Professor Snape leave his classroom and knew that I was truly alone in the dungeons at that moment. I dove behind a suit of armor and watched as he whisked by.

One glance at the dark, dead end room off the corridor and I knew where I needed to be. I'll be the first to admit that I've never been particularly fantastic at charms. To be honest, any kind of showy magic always failed me. I learned that the first day of charms class. A small bit of study into wand lore and I discovered my wand, made from acacia wood, certainly wouldn't help with that. Generally speaking, wand makers avoided making such, yet I had still ended up with one. Further research revealed more subtle magic would yield better results for me.

So as I approached the dreaded room, I cast a shield charm around myself, just in case. Technically speaking, it was far above my level, but I had made it my mission in the past month to try to learn more subtle magic so I could at least function. If I were to be entirely truthful, I preferred it that way. I was rather fond of keeping tricks up my sleeve. Lisa was really into muggle astrology and said it was because I was on the Cancer/Leo cusp and that it was my Cancer influence showing through. I thought that was total crap and knew it was just part of my nature.

I endured possibly the stillest silence I had ever experienced before noticing it: the glowing tear glimmered in the torch light. Holding my breath, I reached my hand forward to open it. What I wasn't expecting was for someone else to open it for me.

A mysterious, male figure was dressed in Victorian attire. I couldn't see his face, though it was evident it was night wherever (and whenever) he was. He approached the tear, opened it just wide enough to place something upon the ground, looked right at me, and the corner of a grin caught my eye before he closed the tear behind him. I exhaled sharply and fiddled my fingers a moment before I mustered the courage to inspect the package.

A medium-sized, rectangular parcel sat on the stone floor. It was wrapped in solid brown paper and tied with string. Elegant calligraphy scrawled across the top.

_Ms. S. Flannigan_

_Dungeons, Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Halloween_

**_OPEN WHEN ALONE!_**

Nervously, I tucked the package into my robes, the uneasy feeling rising to an all time high. I opted to skip lunch altogether and raced back to Ravenclaw tower. As soon as I made it inside, I skipped up the steps to the dormitory and locked the door behind me. After having a done a quick search to verify that I was alone, I dropped the parcel onto my desk and looked at it for a moment. I may have loved Sherlock Holmes, but I was no master of deduction. Try as I might, I couldn't decipher anything about the person who had given it to me or addressed it to me.

Slowly, I let the air from my lungs. _If I die here, if this is a bomb or something, at least no one will get hurt. Maybe some people will show up to my funeral..._I shook the thoughts from my mind and cautiously unwrapped the box. What I found wasn't a bomb, but it certainly confused me. An old, antique clock ticked forebodingly. It was walnut, with shiny brass pieces. The face had a scene of the night sky at the top while the spiked hands remained menacingly still. I opened the small door at the base of the clock to reveal a note, written in that same elegant script.

_Tick, tock. Tick, tock. All work and no play makes Scarlett a dull girl. Expect a visitor in your sleep tonight to liven things up for you. Sweet dreams..._

Hastily, I dropped the note and stared at the clock. Who was trying to frighten me? And what did they want? I stashed the clock and the note in the top drawer of my desk and locked it before catching up with Lisa in the Great Hall. One thing was for certain, I was not eagerly anticipating my visitor that night.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: You know the drill.**

Lunch was over by the time I made it downstairs. I managed to catch Lisa's eye as she was exiting the Great Hall. "Where have you been?" She hissed.

"There's something I need to tell you. Now." We inspected our surroundings before sneaking into the broom closet off the main hall.

"Scarlett, where were you? Why did you miss lunch?"

I quickly explained about the package and the note, making sure to leave out the fact that I was half alien and could manipulate the fabric of the universe. Somehow, I didn't think that would go over well.

"And you have no idea who this person is or what they want from you?"

"No idea."

Lisa's brows furrowed in concern but didn't say a word. After a long pause, she finally spoke. "We're going to be late to class. Come on, we'll think of something before tonight. I'm sure of it."

Neither Lisa or I really paid attention the rest of the afternoon. I had entirely forgotten about the birthday party until I overheard a Slytherin talking about it. At this point, I could care less. I was too afraid of what was in store for me that night. As much as I wanted to avoid it, I was also curious. I wasn't the only one who could manipulate things, that I had learned.

By the time dinner had arrived, my stomach had turned to stone. Thousands of live bats flew around the Great Hall and candle filled pumpkins floated in the air. The scene was awe inspiring and nearly made me forget about my impending doom that night. Nearly. The feast had just begun when a rather frenzied Professor Quirrell ran into the hall. You could have heard a pin drop as all of us watched him climb to Dumbledore's chair. "Troll-in the dungeons-thought you ought to know." It was then that he slumped to the ground, apparently fainting in terror.

The student body was in a panic, pushing and shoving and shouting. Dumbledore had to fire purple firecrackers to calm everyone down, so loud was the uproar. "Prefects, lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

"Isn't the Slytherin dorm in the dungeons?" I asked with confusion as Lisa and I followed Penelope Clearwater out of the hall

I couldn't help but notice the bemused grin on her face. "I guess they're about to become troll dinner."

"You're really creepy sometimes, you know that?"

We began to climb the stairs when we noticed Ron Weasley and Harry Potter duck out of line, following after the Hufflepuffs. "What do you think they're doing?" I asked with confusion.

"I don't know. And to be honest, I don't care. Can we please go to our dormitory?"

"I'll catch up with you." Sure, I was postponing the inevitable. Still, I was curious as to what they were doing. With a troll on the loose, it didn't make sense for students to be going anywhere besides their common rooms.

"No, you won't. Wait for me." Lisa and I followed their lead, ducking out of our own line and chasing after them. They were headed towards the girls' bathroom and we had nearly caught up to them when footsteps made us stop in our tracks.

"Is that...?"

"What's he doing at a time like this?"

Professor Snape crossed the corridor, making his way to third floor. Lisa and I exchanged glances, debating who to follow. Lisa spoke first, "Hermione Granger was in the bathroom earlier. They're probably going to warn her about the troll."

It seemed that the two of us were of one mind, because at that moment we made the decision to tail Snape. Quietly, we followed him through the corridor, hiding behind a suit of armor.

Surprisingly, we noticed Professor Quirrell come around the corner at the other end, looking rather taken aback at Snape's presence. "S-Se-Severus! S-surprise s-seeing y-you here."

"Don't play dumb with me, Quirrell. I know why you're here."

"I d-don't know w-what you m-mean, S-Severus." Quirrell was fiddling nervously with his turban. That was odd.

"A troll loose in the castle is a good diversion. Especially since you're the one who warned us all. Who would suspect you?"

"I'm s-sorry, S-Severus, but I r-really d-don't know-"

"I know what you seek. Be advised that though the others may trust you, I am not so blind."

At that moment, Professor McGonagall came bustling into the corridor. "The troll has been found near the girls' bathroom!" Snape glared at Quirrell and the three instructors left without saying another word.

"What do you think that was all about?" I asked Lisa as we made our way to Ravenclaw Tower.

"I knew I didn't trust Quirrell for a reason." She muttered.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's just a feeling I've had since the start of term."

"Professor Snape seems to think Quirrell let the troll in."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Lisa stated darkly.

"But he's such a bumbling idiot!"

"Exactly. It's a perfect disguise." As we reached the door to the common room, Lisa looked at me seriously. "You probably think it's crazy, but I get a fairly good read on people."

"So, Quirrell is more evil than Snape to you?"

"Snape's not evil. He might be mean but he's not evil. It's Quirrell I'm worried about. Come on, we've got to think of a way to keep you safe tonight."

We entered Ravenclaw common room to see that dinner had been brought up. "Oy! Where have you two been?" Michael Corner, a boy in our year piped.

"Bathroom." I replied quickly.

"Girls..." He shoved a piece of kidney pie into his face, leaving Lisa and I to sneak up to our dormitory. Everyone else was, thankfully, lost in their dinner, theorizing about how the troll could have gotten in.

"Right, I've been thinking about your predicament," She said as soon as we were in our room. "And I think I have the solution."

"Great. What is it?"

She sighed and picked up a book from her desk. "We both know you need to find out who these people are and what they want from you. I'm going to put a sleeping charm on you again tonight, but with one exception. There's a failsafe you can perform, just incase anything bad happens. I'm going to stay up tonight and watch you. If anything bad happens in your dream, you'll be expressing it in your sleep. Once that happens, I'll perform the failsafe and you get out alive."

"Alright. Are you ready?" Lisa nodded and I began getting ready for bed, still nervous about what I was about to do.

We waited until the other girls were asleep before we acted. "Are you all set?" Lisa asked me, concern in her voice.

"Let's just get this over with." I buried myself under the covers and waited, my heart hammering heavily.

"Somnus securus!" She whispered forcefully, a purple fog emerging from the tip of her wand. Immediately, I was cast into a dream world. My surroundings were not favorable. I was standing at the edge of an active volcano, red magma boiling below me.

"We've been expecting you." A shrill voice stated behind me.

I closed my eyes, nails digging into my palms. _Crap! Crappity, crap crap! Right. Just relax. It's the only way._

Standing before me was the most frightening creature I had ever seen. Its head and body was that of a lion, with a goat's head sticking up from its back, and a serpent for a tail. _A chimera! This is really, really not good. _Homer's "the Illiad" echoed in my mind, "a thing of immortal make, not human, lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle, and snorting out the breath of the terrible flame of bright fire".

I steeled myself, gritting my teeth as I spoke. "Who are you and what do you want?"

The creature laughed, a wild, ravenous sound. My blood ran chill at the sound. "Who we are is not important. What we want is a different matter entirely."

"And that would be..."

"The man you see in your dreams, would you like to meet him?"

The question caught me off guard. "How-how do you know about my dreams?"

"My dear child, we know all about you. Your parents, their deaths, what you awoke in the dark..."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't woken anything." I watched as the serpent reared its head, fangs dripping venom.

"Oh, but you have. And that's what we want. You took something belongs to us and we want it back."

"I really haven't."

"Enough!" The lion breathed fire and I covered my face instinctively. "Give it back and we will let you live! Thrive, even!"

"Lisa," I murmured, hoping desperately that my sleeping body was having convulsions or something. "Anytime you want to wake me up would be great!"

The lion opened its maw to breathe fire again and I braced myself for the worst. "Scarlett! Are you okay? What happened?" Lisa's eyes were wide with fear, her blonde hair sticking out in every direction.

"What happened to you?" I choked. My pajamas were soaked with sweat, my heart racing.

"You wouldn't wake. I was really worried!"

"Well," I gasped, throwing the covers off. "You got to me just in time."

"So, what happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but it's not good." I told her of the chimera and the accusations it brought. "I definitely haven't woken anything up. I would have remembered that."

We sat in silence for a moment, thinking of everything that had happened. "Are you sure you didn't do anything in a dream? Maybe when your parents died?"

I shook my head. "I wasn't even born when my dad died. And I remember all my dreams after my mom died. I wasn't anywhere dark and I didn't wake anything up."

"I think you need to be very, very careful about what you dream."

"I can't control what I dream!"

"Actually, you can. I think you need to read this." She handed me the book she had used earlier. "It's all about sleep magic."

"Thanks." I slumped back into my sheets.

"Scarlett?" Lisa asked from the edge of my bed.

"Hmm?"

"How did your parents die?"

I swallowed hard. "Er, my dad died in a war. And my mom died fighting off a group of rogue wizards in our trailer park." The thought still brought tears to my eyes.

"I didn't know America was such a dangerous place for us."

"The wizarding government isn't anything like the national government. It's very harsh, very despotic. There's absolutely no free-speech and they rule with an iron fist. There's a lot of revolt and unrest in the wizarding community. I think that's why Mom wanted me here."

She nodded before turning to return to her own bed. "You know, we're friends," Lisa began. "And if you ever want to come visit, you'd be more than welcome. I know my parents would love to have you."

I smiled in reply. "Thanks, Lisa. I might do that." She grinned and I watched her clamber into her bed. Sighing, I gazed out the window, eyeing the night sky. "Night, Dad." I whispered before covering myself with the blankets again. _Mom was right about having friends._


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: No, I do not own the rights to Doctor Who or Harry Potter. It would be nice though. Anyway, enjoy ;-)**

November brought with it the chilly airs of winter. It seemed like every window in the castle was in a constant state of being frosted and defrosted. The grass was powdered with cold. More than a few times, we caught Hagrid defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch pitch.

After the fiasco that was Halloween, I had gifted Kendrick Smythe with my book on physics and mathematical theory. I had already read it and could recite it from cover to cover. He seemed rather pleased.

The more difficult person to find a present for was Lisa. She was sure to remind me that her birthday was the seventh and that she expected something. I had given up on buying anything, given that we were stuck in a castle until our third year. Therefore, I opted to craft a magical model of a Seifert surface. I had to explain what it was to her but once she understood she seemed rather impressed.

Quidditch fever had taken the entire school by storm. Mostly because Harry Potter, first year Gryffindor Seeker, was to play his first match. I felt for Harry, he had been thrust into a world he knew nothing about and was now expected to be their sporting hero. You couldn't have paid me a million galleons to take his place.

Hermione's general demeanor had seemed to improved since Halloween as well. I guess being saved from a mountain troll may have had something to with it. She, Harry, and Ron seemed to have become a tight knit group and I was happy for her. It was good she had finally found some friends. They certainly seemed to help her be more relaxed.

"Are you excited about the Quidditch match?" Lisa asked over breakfast.

"Um, not really. I'm not really into sports." I spread jelly onto another piece of toast and looked around the Great Hall. Everyone seemed to be chattering gleefully about the Quidditch match. I spotted a very queasy looking Harry at Gryffindor table. Poor guy.

"Well, given that I've never seen a Quidditch match, I'm rather looking forward to it." Lisa stated before returning to her book. The two of us had been doing loads of research about sleep protection since Halloween. We had managed to churn up some sleeping protection charms and I hadn't had any unwelcome visitors in my dreams, except for that strange man with my hair.

We followed nearly the rest of the school out onto the Quidditch pitch. Lisa and I clambered into the stands behind Michael Corner and Terry Boot. Those two seemed to be rather inseparable, something I had initially stated as weird to Lisa before she reminded me that we were essentially their female equivalents.

It was the big match between Slytherin and Gryffindor, with the majority of favorites going to Gryffindor. I can't say I blamed everyone else, the Slytherins were intolerable with their arrogance. I was hoping Gryffindor would cream them, just so they'd shut up.

"You think Gryffindor is going to win? They've got Potter now. Wonder if he's any good." Michael asked Lisa and me.

"I don't know. It'd be nice though. I'm sick of hearing about the 'Invincible Greens'."

"I agree with Scarlett. If I have to hear one more remark from their lot, I'm going to hex someone."

Madam Hooch, our flying coach, was refereeing that day. As she waited for the two teams, I noted the sudden silence amongst the crowd. She spoke to both teams for a moment before she blew her silver whistle.

I watched as the teams flew high into the air before taking off.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor-what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too-"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

Lee Jordan was the commentator for the match, being closely monitored by Professor McGonagall. Lisa and I chuckled at his comments, despite their occasional tints of rudeness.

Angelina Johnson scored Gryffindor's first points, the Gryffindors cheering while the Slytherins howled with irritation.

On and on the game seemed to go, with Harry floating steadily above the action. He had just dodged a bludger when he suddenly dove downward, seemingly after the snitch. The Slytherin Seeker, Terence Higgs, had seen it as well. Neck and neck they plummeted, faster and faster towards the ever falling snitch. A great silence fell over the crowd. Even the players seemed to stop what they were doing to watch the scene playing out before them. Harry was faster, nearly catching it when-

WHAM! Marcus Flint blocked Harry intentionally, causing his broom to fly off course. Harry clung for dear life to his broomstick. Gryffindors cried foul, a sentiment echoed by Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

Lee Jordan was finding neutrality to be rather difficult. "So-after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating-"

"Jordan!"

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul-"

"_Jordan, I'm warning you-_"

"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

"This is so exciting!" Lisa whispered excitedly in my ear. I tried nodding in assent, but I honestly felt sick to my stomach. Quidditch was a dangerous game and I was never truly at ease watching it.

Harry dodged another bludger when, suddenly, his broom lurched. Again, the broom violently lurched. "What's going on?" Lisa asked with anxiety.

I shook my head in confusion. If I didn't know any better, I would say someone was jinxing his broom. Brooms didn't just buck and lurch like that. I watched in abject horror as his broom zigzagged through the air, Harry holding on tightly. No one else, save Lisa and I seemed to notice. Lee Jordan was still commentating.

As he began to rise, it was as if the crowd finally took notice. Fingers pointed out and upwards and uneasy whispers flitted through the air. In one rough motion, Harry's broom jerked, leaving him holding on by one hand. A gasp erupted from the stands and I wondered why no one was doing anything.

_Maybe this is that mentality humans get when they hear someone in danger. Each assumes someone else has called the police. _I looked around, preparing to attempt something, anything, to help when I noticed Hermione slip through the Gryffindor stands. _Good. If anyone can stop this, it would be her. _

Harry's broom was vibrating violently, the crowd rising to their feet. A pin could resound with a bang if dropped, so still were the stands. Eventually, Hermione seemed to have fixed the problem because Harry was soon able to climb back onto his broom.

He sped towards the ground, clapping his hand to his mouth. Was he going to throw up? WIth a "WHAM!" he hit the ground on all fours, coughed, and suddenly held his arm aloft; his hand clenched into a fist.

"I've got the Snitch!" He shouted. The game ended then, no one completely understanding what had happened. Lee Jordan was ecstatic, raving about the results.

"That was amazing!" Lisa chirped as we made our way back to Ravenclaw tower. "That was, by far, the most brilliant thing I've ever seen! Quidditch is just...just..." Her excitement was such that she couldn't even finish her thought.

Lisa continued to chatter about the game all the way up to our dormitory. I nodded distractedly, musing about who would have wanted to jinx Harry. I thought back to Halloween and the conversation between Snape and Quirrell. Snape hated Harry but Quirrell was up to something. I had the sinking feeling that one of them had done it, but my internal dialogue was brazen with denial. Why would a teacher wish to kill a student? They were teachers! Still, the same thought remained, leaving me with a knot in the pit of my stomach.

"Are you alright?" Lisa asked finally, noting my pensive demeanor.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I was just remembering that tomorrow is my mom's birthday. It seems weird, her being gone and all." _Nice cover, Scarlett. _While it was true that I still missed my mom, and the next day was her birthday, I had a knowing that I shouldn't voice my fears until I had some proof. You didn't just state a theory until you had proof, data to back up your idea.

"You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think it's your destiny to be surrounded by Scorpios." Lisa mused happily. I rolled my eyes. Lisa and her astrology.

"Riight."

"I'm serious. Your mum was a Scorpio, I'm a Scorpio, and Kendrick's one too. I think you can't stay away from us."

"If that makes you sleep better at night, sure." I snorted, shaking my head with disbelief.

"Mark my words, Scarlett Flannigan, we're fated to be linked for life." She stated forebodingly before breaking out into a fit of giggles. "You think Quirrell did it?" Lisa questioned flatly, her demeanor changing on a dime.

My eyes widened at the quickness of it. Lisa was the only person I knew who could go from jovial to serious in a moment's notice. I shrugged my shoulders, not meeting her eyes. "I don't know. Maybe. I've wondered..."

"That was my first thought." She was so intuitive and so, blasé, about it. I began to think I was never going to fully understand her. "But we need hard evidence, and I don't think Quirrell is stupid enough to leave any behind."

"What are you saying, you want to open an investigation?"

"Like Holmes and Watson."

I chewed my lip nervously. "I don't know, Lisa. I want to figure out what's going on as much as you do, but we have other things to worry about. Like the fact that someone is trying to kill me?"

"We can multi-task. We're Ravenclaws. What do you say?"

I nodded in agreement, a grin bursting out on her face. "I love a good mystery or two. Come along, Watson. Lots to do." And with that, she dashed from the room, leaving me standing in confusion.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I don't own the rights, etc, etc.**

Lisa had already seemingly pulled down every book from the shelf when I arrived in the library. "Surely, we don't need all of these." I stated flatly.

"Well, probably not. But you can never be too careful."

One glance at the titles told me she had overkilled it on the research. "Have you ever heard the expression, 'Work smarter, not harder'?"

"Now you're thinking properly. Sure you weren't supposed to be in Slytherin?" Theodore Knott and Kendrick Smythe sauntered up to our table.

"Reasonably certain, yes. What are you boys doing?"

"We got tired of hearing all of the moping in Slytherin common room. Don't get me wrong, I'm upset that we lost, but get over it already. We'll beat them next game." Theodore stated with annoyance.

"Not to mention Draco keeps spewing, 'My father will hear about this! They can't have a first-year seeker, it's against the rules! When my father...' Honestly, it's annoying." Kendrick finished.

"So you decided to catch a break and head to the library of all places? I thought this was our domain." I couldn't understand why anyone besides Ravenclaws and Hermione Granger would head to the library. Then again, Madam Pince wanted it silent at all times, so maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.

Lisa rounded a bookshelf, her arms laden with more books. Her mouth fell open into an "O" of surprise before changing into a scowl. "What do you want?" She asked, disdain dripping from every word.

"I really don't think she likes me." Kendrick stated, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"It's nothing personal. She doesn't like any Slytherin."

"What did we ever do to you?" Theodore asked with confusion.

"Let me think. Your house has put out more evil witches and wizards than can be counted, you rely on your reputation to get what you want, you pick on those you deem inferior to yourselves, and you hate muggle-borns. What's to like?" Lisa's voice was icy. I had never seen her look so furious. She was always so easy going, times when she was truly upset or passionate about something always took me by surprise.

"Oh, I see. So the great Ravenclaw, supposedly unbiased because you're more machine than human, has made the decision that all Slytherins are the same. Some fair mind you are." Theodore hissed.

Lisa's cheeks flushed, though I couldn't discern whether it was due to embarrassment or anger, more than likely it was both. "It's general rule-"

"How about you get to know Kendrick and me before you dole out judgements? Truth be told, we came here because we heard a lot of commotion. When we saw you pillaging the bookshelves, we thought we could maybe help you."

"We don't need your help." Lisa muttered under her breath. I gave her a disapproving look and she caved. "Fine. But I don't know why you think you know this library so much better than we do."

"It's not a matter of knowing the library. What subject are you trying to research?" Kendrick asked. I had noticed before how he and Theodore essentially kept to themselves. The other Slytherins were rather fond of them, but I never really saw them speaking to anyone besides each other.

"Thievery and general mischief." I teased. Kendrick and Theodore both smirked while Lisa pursed her lips with disapproval.

"Why would you be interested in that?" I noticed that Theodore's dark eyes lit up at the subject.

"Classified." I had wanted to say something was classified my entire life. Who didn't love a good spy? "However, we are looking for anything involving stealth, invisibility, or being undetectable. Know where to start?"

"Yeah. The Restricted Section."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "How are we supposed to get in there? You need a note from a teacher."

"So? We get a note from a teacher." I replied. From the corner of my eye, I saw Kendrick and Theodore exchange grins.

"You were right. She is cool." Theodore whispered.

"What teacher in their right mind is going to give a first year permission to get into the restricted section?"

"Why don't you let us take care of that?" Theodore asked happily.

"And let you get into the section and get the book we need? No way."

"Aw, come on, Turpin. Loosen up a bit. It's going to be great. We'll meet you back here tomorrow. Say eleven?"

"Works for me." Kendrick and Theodore waved, to which I waved back. Lisa stood with her arms across her chest, looking quite irked. The next moment, she had taken off, following them out of the library.

"Oi! Knott!" I heard her shout.

I began the arduous process of replacing the books. That girl had a knack for picking the heaviest in the bunch. When she reappeared, her manner was even more perturbed. "Figures."

"What does?"

"Bloody aries..."

A snort erupted from my throat and I pretended that a sudden coughing fit had taken me. "I'm sorry, did you just chase down Theodore Knott to find out what his zodiac sign was?"

"I needed to know if he was trustworthy."

"And his birthday will tell you that?"

The sarcasm in my voice made her glower at me. "I know you think it's rubbish, but I think it's fascinating. Not only that, but it tends to be rather accurate."

"You know, I was reading one of your 'astrology source books' the other day, and we aren't supposed to get along. That's what it says anyway."

"Well, it's not an exact art. To be accurate, I would need to do your birth chart. Speaking of which, what time were you born?"

"No." I replied with humor. "For someone so intelligent, you sure do put a lot of stock in cheap tricks. Do you believe everything a fortune cookie tells you too?"

When I re-entered the dormitory, Merlin was waiting for me on my bed. _"What's this I hear of you and Miss Turpin staging a break in?"_

"Excuse me? We're doing no such thing."

_"All of the castle's animals know about it. So come on, out with it!"_

"We are NOT planning a break in. We're just doing some research."

_"On breaking and entering?"_

"Well, not so many words..."

_"Whatever you're planning, needs to stop. I don't like it, Scarlett."_

Sighing, I flopped down next to him. "It's for the good of the school. There could be lives at stake. We need to know what's happening."

_"So your solution is to become a thief?"_

"We're not going to take anything. That would leave traces. We're just...running a covert operation for intel."

_"Been reading 'Spies Throughout History' again?"_

"Maybe. But that's beside the point. Someone is planning something, someone with power, and we're the only ones onto them."

_"Then you should inform the proper authorities."_

"Please! No one would believe us! We need empirical proof! Evidence to back up our claim."

_"I fail to see how you can have evidence if you don't take anything."_

"You know that I've been practicing subtle spells and enchantments. That and potions are the only things I'm good at. I'm going to duplicate whatever we find and take the copy with me. We should eventually have enough proof to take it to Professor Flitwick."

_"I still don't like it. However, I can see your opinion is not to be swayed on this matter." _He sighed then. _"In which case, I believe you should look for a book which contains the recipe for 'Stealth of Shadows'."_

"Stealth of Shadows? That would be in the Restricted Section?"

_"More than likely. You didn't hear it from me." _With a flick of his tail, he leapt from the bed and exited the room.

_Right, I need to find Theodore. _With that in mind, I exited the dormitory and made my way to the Great Hall. An orange tabby stood in my path, eyeing me with orange eyes.

"I don't suppose you've seen Theodore Knott?" I knew it was crazy to think that I could communicate with all cats, but it was worth a shot.

_"Ah, yes. The witch who can speak with us. Merlin told us about you. He's in the Transfiguration Courtyard with that friend of his." _The cat replied, its voice full of annoyance.

"Um, thanks." I awkwardly walked around the cat and changed my route to the courtyard. In the distance, I could see him and Kendrick sitting on a bench, a chessboard resting between the two of them.

"Well, if it isn't the Yank! What do you need?" Theodore asked mischievously.

"I need a book that has the recipe for Stealth of Shadows. It's a potion."

"I'll see what I can do. On one condition."

Uh oh. _This is why you don't do business with Slytherins..._A voice echoed in my mind. "What would that be?"

"We get to come with you."

My mouth fell open. Surely, he was joking. When I noted his look of pleasure, I realized he was entirely serious. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"I think it's brilliant."

"I'm with him. We help you, you let us tag along. I think it's fair." Kendrick stated.

"I'll just get that book myself, then." I turned to leave when Theodore shouted,

"What professor is going to give you permission for something like that? You're a Ravenclaw, you could use the excuse that you're pursuing knowledge, I suppose. Still, it will be suspicious."

Crap. He was right. "I see your point. But what makes you so confident you'll succeed?"

A smirk crept onto his and Kendrick's faces. "We both...know people."

I found myself rolling my eyes. "Oh, brother. You're that one inmate, aren't you? In all those prison movies, there's always one guy who has access to the outside. He's got guards in his pocket and is the go to person for when you need something. There's always a price but he can always get what you need. And it's you, isn't it?"

"Both of us, actually. Kendrick's the brains behind it, I'm the voice. We've got a rather wonderful partnership, don't we?"

Kendrick nodded with bemusement. "And that's why you're so popular with your fellow Slytherins. Even though you're first years, you've got connections. I'm not even going to ask how that's possible. Fine. You get to come along. But if either of you screw it up, I'll have your heads."

"Shake on it?" Theodore extended his hand. I noted the smug satisfaction on both of their faces and grimaced. I grasped my hand in his and had a feeling I had just made a deal with the devil.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Fair warning, this one gets a bit...wibbly. Still don't own the rights.**

When I had told Lisa about the agreement, she was none too pleased. Still, the next day, the boys delivered on their promise. In my hands, I held "Potions Mysterium", a book that seemed to cover some rather suspicious potions. It was old, charred, and more than a bit...dodgy.

I didn't ask how they got the book, truthfully, I didn't want to know. What mattered was that I had the key to finding out what Quirrell was up to. Upon reading the recipe, however, I discovered it was going to be no easy task. It was, without a doubt, the most difficult potion I had ever laid eyes on. And I had done extensive extra-curricular reading on the subject in recent months.

"How are you going to get these ingredients? Professor Snape will notice if they're gone-"

I exchanged a knowing look with Lisa. Her mouth twisted into a scowl of disapproval. "You can't get something for nothing! They're going to ask you for something in return! I told you Kendrick Smythe was trouble. I told you Theodore Knott wasn't a good idea."

"No, what you told me was that one was a scorpio and one was an aries. Oh, and that you didn't have a good 'feeling' about Kendrick. Whatever that means..."

Lisa sighed with exasperation. "You're logical to the extreme. You completely disregard your emotions and instincts. It's not very leo of you."

I chortled, much to her dismay. "I hate to break it you, but I'm not a machine. I cried when my mother died." Logical to the extreme? She didn't know me at all. I was usually quite an emotional creature.

"That's not what I mean. You don't let your heart get in the way of your plans. It's like you can just...I don't know. Lock yourself away. We're eleven. That's a nearly impossible _adult _coping mechanism."

"Coping mechanisms? Amateur psychologist now, are you?" Come to think of it, I did seem to have been shutting the pain from my mother's death out rather well, as of late. Still, that was a good thing. It kept me going.

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's what Mum does."

"Well, I'm fine. And since when did caring help fix anything?" One glance her direction and I noted the glaring disapproval. _That's an unusual thing to say..._ "Now, I'm going to see the boys. This potion requires it to be brewed on the darkest day of the year, which is..."

"Either December twenty-second."

"Bingo! Which leaves us nearly a month to get everything ready."

"Can you brew it? I know you've got a natural talent for potions but this looks really-"

"Complicated?" I found myself grinning with delight. Honestly, I enjoyed the seemingly impossible far too much. The thought ran across my mind that perhaps I needed my head checked, especially given my rather odd behavior that day.

"Well, yes."

"I can do it."

"You sound rather confident."

"Being here seems to make me so." That part, oddly enough, was true. The longer I was at Hogwarts, the more comfortable I seemed to be. I found that my mind was sharper, my self-esteem higher, and the thoughts of my father were more frequent. It was almost like home sometimes. When evil chimeras weren't trying to kill me and the local professors weren't planning something, that is.

The boys agreed to get me the ingredients, though they wouldn't tell me what it was going to cost me. The nagging voice in the back of mind told me to be wary, but I shrugged it off. Business was business, and this had to be done.

_Odd, _I thought as I returned to Ravenclaw tower. _I've never been able to shut down my emotions so easily before. _Lisa's words rolled around inside my head; I could lock myself away. When had that ability surfaced? What was Hogwarts doing to me? Three months and I was transforming into a different person. Maybe not drastically, but piece by piece, I was changing.

Shaking the thoughts from my mind, I returned to the tower, finding the common room empty. Strange. One glance around the room confirmed what I had seen. "Lisa?" I asked cautiously.

"Lisa's not here right now." That voice. That terrible voice. Closing my eyes in dreaded acknowledgment, I slowly turned around. Upon opening them, my sight revealed the chimera, in all it's frightening fury.

"How are you here?" _Transdimensional travel. _A strange voice said in my mind. What was that?

"Transdimensional travel, dearest. You've been avoiding us. Smart girl."

With agitation, I clenched my fists. "What do you want?" The fear was bubbling up like tar in my stomach. I could feel it: burning, dark, and lethal. Fear of this creature and fear of what was happening to me.

"Hmm, I suppose I could change my form. I can see that you're not overly fond of the chimera, are you?" Before my eyes, the chimera changed into my mother. "Better, darling?"

It was a poor imitation. My mother never had that cold malevolence in her eyes. She certainly would never hate me with such seething loathing. No, that was not my mom. Never would be. "I'd rather you didn't." I hissed.

"Oh, too soon? Tender subject, isn't it? Ah, how about this?" The man from my dreams stood before me. Flame-red hair, the strange patches, oh, yes; it was him alright. "Dear, old Dad."

I fought to hide my surprise. Of course I had wondered, the stories Mom had told me. But still, I didn't want to jump to conclusions. He could have been anyone. "I assume you made the connection. Your mother did tell you such stories, after all."

"You still haven't answered my question. What do you want?"

"What's ours."

"I don't know what you're talking about." My voice cracked on the last syllable. Crap.

"Yes, the fear is rolling off of you. It smells so...delicious." An eerie smile spread across the man's face. A look that didn't seem to belong there. "One last time, little girl. Give it back to us!"

"I really have no idea-"

"The item you stole from us! The one you awakened in the dark of the cave! We know it's here, in this castle! Give it back!"

"I don't know!" I shouted breathlessly. I couldn't hide my fear anymore, it boiled and bubbled over.

"Show us and we can save him. We can bring him back." I knew they were talking about the strange man that was my father. Maybe...

_No, Scarlett. Pull yourself together. Even if he did manage to escape, they still couldn't help you. _One thought of what that thing did to my mother's memory and I found my resolve."I can't help you because I don't know where it is, or what it is, for that matter." The words came out like steel.

The creature cocked its head to the side, attempting to discern my truthfulness. "You really don't do you?" I shook my head in confirmation. "Seems I've gone back too far in the time-stream. My mistake." The words jingled with amusement. "But this is good. Maybe now, you won't steal it from us...no! It doesn't work like that does it?" The creature was still talking to itself when it completely vanished out of thin air.

The common room, likewise, filled with people from seemingly nowhere. "Scarlett! I've been calling your name for ages!" Lisa's tone was angry.

"Sorry." I murmured, slowly surveying my surroundings. There was no sign that anything had just happened. What was going on?

"Did they agree to help you?"

"Yeah." I noticed the lack of interest in my voice.

"What's the cost?"

"They didn't say." At that moment, a thought raced to the front of my mind. "Oh! Oh, that's good! Is that even possible?"

"Scarlett, what's wrong with you? You've been acting weird all day-"

"A few months ago, when I told you about my dream, you said something about a distress signal?"

"Er, yeah. But what does that have to do with-"

"Not now, I'm thinking." Wow. I definitely would not normally say that. "I need to know if it's possible to exchange thoughts, personality traits, mannerisms over an emergency signal."

"I-I don't know. Scarlett, you're scaring me."

"You pointed out today that I've been acting strangely."

"Well, today yes. But you've always been a bit cold..."

"No, that's the thing. I haven't always been this way. It's been gradual and it started my first night here. The first night I had the dream." Why hadn't I noticed? Why was it just now occurring to me how different I was becoming?

"I'm not sure if that would have anything to do with it, though. I think we need to go to the hospital wing, you don't look well."

"I was under attack! Just a minute ago! And now I'm acting completely unlike me! Lisa, we need to find out if my dad is transferring himself into me somehow." I raced off, out of the common room, my brain racing with thoughts.

"Under attack? Your dad?! Scarlett, you're scaring me! Where you going?"

"The library! The library has everything..." I was going to find out what all of this mess meant. Every last bit of it.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Yes, I know it's been a while. But I do hope you all enjoy. Oh, and I still don't own the rights :-)**

Lisa and I didn't find much in the library. At her request, I visited the Hospital Wing, but I checked out as normal. She was worried and so was I. Still, there were things that needed to be taken care of. Like our Stealth of Shadows potion.

With the arrival of the holiday season, I half expected Kendrick and Theodore to return home and change their minds about the potion. To both mine and Lisa's surprise, they stayed. The boys delivered on the ingredients, which forced us to come up with a plan for brewing it.

"If we were good at sneaking, we wouldn't need this potion anyway." Lisa grumbled at breakfast. Most of the castle had emptied, the students returning home to their families. I wasn't sure I wanted to spend my Christmas at Alderton Manor; the thought of my mother being gone was just too much to deal with. Besides, I was the best at potions and the others were relying on my natural ability.

"What would you suggest, then? Invite them to Ravenclaw tower?"

I watched with amusement as Lisa's face contorted in disgust. "Definitely not."

"Oh, come on! You have to admit they're actually pretty fun. Remember that day when Theodore got Michael's pot to explode in Herbology?"

A giggle escaped Lisa's throat before she could contain it. "Alright, maybe they're not all bad. Still, they're Slytherins, Scarlett. We can't trust them."

"What's that saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies...closer?"

"I wouldn't say they're enemies exactly."

"Did their birth charts tell you that?" I laughed at my own joke. Lisa, however, wasn't amused.

"One day, you're going to see how wrong you are about astrology, Scarlett. And when you are, I'm going to be there."

"And you'll shove it in my face every opportunity you get."

At that moment, the boys flopped down at our table. "Good morning, ladies." Theodore stated wickedly.

"Do you have to do that?"

"Do what?"

"Be so annoying all the time?"

"Pfft! Hey, Scarlett-how're the plans for the potion coming along?"

I shrugged. Lisa had managed to nix every plan I had presented: the Forbidden Forest ("You can't be serious!"), the Lake ("What if the rumors of the giant squid are true?"), the empty girls' bathroom (a ghost named Moaning Myrtle was apparently far too deplorable to deal with), and now our common room. The library was definitely out.

"Lisa didn't agree with anything, did she?" Lisa's face flushed at Theodore's question.

"None of them were safe or realistic!"

"The girls' bathroom was the best spot! We can deal with a ghost!"

"Have you _met _Myrtle? She's awful! Absolutely not!"

I sighed and played with my porridge. The lumpy concoction plopped noisily from the spoon to my bowl. I was beginning to think that the situation was impossible when Kendrick chirped, "I have just the place!"

"Really?" I asked with excitement. "Where?"

"You can all follow me when you're done with breakfast."

"It's not Myrtle's bathroom is it?"

"Honestly, Turpin." Theodore rolled his eyes dramatically. "If Kendrick says he's got it, he's got it. Savvy?"

"Isn't that a bit antiquated?" Theodore responded with a rude gesture, much to Lisa's chagrin. "Couldn't think of a better comeback, then?"

"Shut up, you two. Lisa, are you done? Because this mushy stuff is really unappetizing and I'm ready to go."

"I suppose so. Let's get this over with."

The four of us made our way from the Great Hall, up the moving staircases, all the way up to the seventh floor. "Are we going to Gryffindor tower? Because I don't think they'll be very happy about that."

"Has anyone told you how annoying you are, Turpin? Because you are."

"Shut up, snake!"

At that moment, Kendrick wheeled around and gave the most frightening glare I had ever seen to the two of them. Despite his age, his eyes seemed ancient, full of things seen and a great power. Shivers went down my spine and I began to wonder what I had noticed. Then, in a flash, it was gone. "Either the both of you stop bickering, or else."

No one questioned the "or else" he was referring to. "Ah, here we are. Now, everyone just focus and think of how much we need a place to brew our potion."

I could see the confusion in Theodore's and Lisa's eyes. My own brow furrowed as I pondered his instructions. Still, I filled my thoughts with a place to brew. Lo and behold, two massive oaken doors emerged from the wall we were facing. "What is going-"

"Room of Requirement." Kendrick stated cheerfully. "Found it when I was up here thinking of how badly I needed to be alone."

"You do seem to need an inordinate amount of time alone, Ken." Theodore muttered.

"And you seem to insist on shortening my name at every turn...Theo."

"Not bad, actually. And yes, but only because you deserve it."

"Well, I'm going inside. If y'all want to stay out here and banter, be my guest." I made my way to the doors, pushed, and found myself in a medieval looking laboratory. Groin vaults covered the expanse of the ceiling. Charcoal gray, heavy stones, lined the walls. Ingredients hung from low slung wooden beams, creating a pungent aroma. The room was mostly dark, with low light disbursing from the wall torches. Shelves of books, bottles, tubes, and boxes stood against the far wall. Long, oak tables with cauldrons were arrayed before me; each table had its own series of corresponding stools. Basically, it looked like a potions classroom.

"Y'all?" Kendrick asked with disbelief, trailing behind me, taking in the room around us.

"This. Is. Perfect!" Lisa squealed. "I know I've doubted you in the past but, wow!"

"Er, thanks, Lisa." Kendrick mumbled uncomfortably.

"So this is where you get the supplies from then, mate? Nice to know." Theodore stated with awe.

"Why am I not surprised that it was you this entire time?" I asked bemusedly. Kendrick certainly struck as me the real brains behind the operation. Sure, Theodore was charming and quite the salesman, but Kendrick had that quiet nature that exuded intellectual prowess.

He shuffled uncomfortably. I couldn't hide my amused smirk. Yes, this was absolutely perfect. And hopefully, if all went according to plan, we would be in business.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I know there are multiple plot elements, but I promise they'll all make sense soon enough. Happy reading :-)**

As the moonlight streamed through the dormitory's windows, I sighed with anxiety. The time had come to sneak up to the Room of Requirement and brew our potion. I had never been particularly adept at sneaking. That was the entire point of the potion-to make us nearly undetectable. Quickly, I dressed and pulled my hair back.

Wand at the ready, I looked over at Lisa. She nodded at me and then, in that moment, we departed. Ever so quietly, we crept. Down the stairs, through the common room, and out of Ravenclaw tower. The door clicked closed behind us and I swallowed my fear. This had to be done. It was entirely necessary for us to uncover the plot. If there even is one...I thought with chagrin. Maybe I had convinced myself that there was more going on than was actually true.

No. That's wasn't true. There was something going on between Professor Snape and Quirrell. Of that much, I was absolutely certain. Neither of us uttered a word as we snuck up the stairs. Portraits snored in their frames, their rhythmic breathing echoing around the walls. I desperately clung to the hope that Peeves or Mrs. Norris wouldn't make an appearance.

Thankfully, that hope had seen me through. Something else entirely occurred, something that shook Lisa and I to the core. We were on the fifth floor, nearly to the top of the staircase that would put us on the seventh floor when I saw it. Shimmering before us was a tear. I had seen countless numbers of them throughout the castle and it had become rather common place for me to come across one. Not many opened of their own accord, however.

In that instant, a terrible ripping sound resounded. Lisa looked at me in fear and I swallowed hard. From the opening, a frightful picture could be seen. The room looked much like the staircase hall that we were standing in at that moment. The difference, however, was not in the room itself, but in the objects within it. Blood covered the stone floors; portraits lay broken, torn from the walls. A haunting voice sung from somewhere in the distance. My blood ran chill at the sound.

And then, it appeared. A great and terrible form, black as night, with eyes of electricity. The body seemed to be shaped from black crystals, the fingers more akin to talons. It growled at the two of us, then began to pursue us.

"What the hell is that?" Lisa whispered frantically.

My hope that I would never have to tell anyone about my abilities had been naive. Especially given the sheer amount of tears in the castle. Hogwarts was built on some kind of temporal vortex.

"Lisa," I murmured. "I'm going to close this and we're not to speak of it until later. Are we good?"

"Close it? You can't close that-" Her words were cut short as I extended my arms forward. I thought of wanting to close that rift in the time continuum; as I did, the ripping sound returned until finally the hole sealed shut just as the form reached out for us.

We stood, shaking and shivering. My breath heavy, I managed to choke out, "Come on. Let's brew this potion and get back to the tower."

"How did you-"

"We'll talk later. I promise. But we need to meet the boys in the room."

"But you stopped it! You closed it!" She whispered frantically behind me.

"I know."

"Who are you?"

I'd been trying to figure that out myself. "I'm not sure. Come on!"

At long last, we reached the room. "There you are! What took you so long?" Theodore inquired upon our arrival.

"You didn't hear it?" Lisa asked with disbelief.

"Hear what?" It was apparent that Theodore hadn't heard anything. I wasn't as sure about Kendrick. His brow was furrowed, a wrinkle cut into the skin between them.

"Peeves. He was causing trouble, as usual." I finished. "But we made it. Are you guys ready?"

Theodore and Lisa nodded but Kendrick was looking at me with such intensity, I couldn't help but shiver.

"What's with you mate?" Theodore cut into Kendrick's focus, his stare dispelling in the process.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"You were staring at Scarlett with a really strange look on your face."

"No, I wasn't."

"Yeah, you were." Lisa interrupted.

"Let's just brew this thing so that we can sneak into Quirrell's office on Christmas. Okay?" Heads bobbed in agreement and I sat down at one of the tables. As I began the process, I couldn't help but feel like my world was unravelling; that there was something very, very wrong with the universe. The problem was, I didn't know how to fix it.


End file.
